The Spin
by RubberDuckiez
Summary: The war is over, but even finally playing first string on Puddlemere United can't seem to completely break Oliver Wood out of his funk. Enter a new coach and PR team from the US deadset on revitalizing the team's image. And then some...
1. The Pitch

_I actually wrote and finished this a while ago but didn't think I'd post it just because - well - ANOTHER Oliver Wood story. But figured it would be good to just get all of it out of my system - especially since this one is a smidge lighter than the other stories I've got going at the moment... And it's short, only 11 chapters..._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**The Pitch**

Oliver sighed as he glanced around the large meeting room in the main Puddlemere offices at the stadium. It was the first day back after a three-week break for the playoffs and he was anxious to hit the pitch. While he had been in the gym whenever he wasn't watching matches, it still wasn't enough. Didn't help that he was anxious to see how things fared with the new coach that the team was bringing in, as well as the new public relations team.

They were set to meet them all for the first time this morning.

The first season back after the Second Wizarding War was nothing short of disastrous for the once popular and prominent team. When Oliver started on reserves all those years ago, Puddlemere had been at the top of the rankings, going to the playoffs nearly every year. But after the League was suspended during the war - and with a large number of players either fighting, dying or disappearing in that time - many teams had taken a hard hit and were struggling to fill seats.

At the end of the season, the once proud team had dropped to nearly the bottom of the standings and was facing a serious PR crisis when their ticket sales dropped dramatically. It put a bit of a damper on finally making first string for the keeper, though he was counting his blessings that the owner hadn't cut him despite his less than stellar performance. Four of his teammates weren't so lucky.

It had been hard coming back after the war. Oliver spent most of that summer in physical therapy, recovering from injuries sustained during the last stand at Hogwarts, and then most of the season trying to get back into the groove. He wouldn't admit it out loud but playing quidditch was the only thing that got him through the last year. Granted, he was sure others noticed; they were just too kind to bring it up.

And finally, here he was, sitting in the Puddlemere head office in the upper levels of the stadium waiting on the team owner to show up and introduce not only the new coach, but a new PR team that would save their image and hopefully bring back the crowds. The team had been hard at work for a few months already, though was just now making an appearance. Already renovations on the stadium were underway and set to finish about mid-summer. Glancing out the window, Oliver couldn't help but admire the changes. The stadium had needed a facelift for a long time, and something more than just a color change.

"There's the lads - er, and well, Wilda! Good to see you all this bright morning," Mitchell Weathers boomed as he walked into the room. Everyone immediately sat up. He was a tall man, though a touch on the skinny side. Whatever he lacked in breadth, he certainly made up for with his voice.

Weathers quickly stepped to the front of the room, his eyes darting back to the door anxiously.

"As you all are aware, we're here today to finally introduce you to our new PR director and new coach," he started. "I'm hoping that this is a fresh start for all of us here at Puddlemere…"

"What you think he's like, this yank?" Adrian asked, leaning over towards him. Oliver shrugged.

"Which one? The coach or the PR director?" Oliver asked.

"Both, I suppose," Adrian said.

"Hell if I know," Oliver replied. He knew absolutely nothing about the new director - only that he had been hired months ago and had been working remotely from the US while finishing up with his previous job. Thankfully, Oliver had heard of the new coach. Granted he still wasn't sure what to expect. That they would find out sure enough at their first practice with him just after the welcome reception.

"Got to admit that that the PR bloke has done wonders already. Why haven't we met him yet?" Pucey asked. "Heard he was really hands on. Did amazing things with some of the teams in the US league."

Oliver picked up his quill and began boredly doodling on the parchment in front of him. He didn't really care about the business end of quidditch. He just wanted to be on the pitch, playing. Or strategizing plays.

"Ah look… Meredith's back from holiday," Adrian whispered, changing the subject. Oliver looked over at him and then glanced around, catching one of the team medics stealing glances at him. She smiled slightly and waved at him. Oliver smiled and nodded his head before returning his attention back to the parchment in front of him.

"Blimey," he heard Adrian exclaim softly from beside him. Oliver looked up towards the door and his eyes widened. The entire room was suddenly at attention, watching as a tall, slightly older woman with dark hair sauntered into the room on impossibly high heels. Her robes were a deep purple with black trim that matched the small black hat that sat smartly on her head. She casually sized up everyone around her, a smirk on her face.

"Rachel, so good of you to join us," Weathers boomed, stepping over to her. "I take it you've settled in?"

"Of course," the woman replied. "The apartment, or I guess I should say flat now, is quite satisfactory."

The team glanced at each other curiously. Was this the brain behind their new PR strategy?

Oliver's attention, however, was on the young woman close behind her. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then glanced down at a clipboard in her hands. She looked oddly familiar, though he couldn't quite place her. Perhaps an old classmate from Hogwarts?

"Everyone, this is Rachel Meadows, our new Public Relations director," Weathers said, turning to the team. The woman studied each of the players in turn, her gaze so intense that Oliver squirmed slightly. She then walked over to the windows, coolly watching the construction. Smiling to herself, she then turned back to everyone in the room, who seemed to be eagerly waiting for her to speak.

"I'm sure I can guess what you're all thinking," she said in a clipped, yet professional tone as she reached up and pulled off her hat, setting it down on the table. "What could this woman possibly know about quidditch?" She paused for a moment, looking around the room. "The answer is… a lot. And enough to help bring Puddlemere from embarrassment back to fan favorite. I won't say that I'll get you the League Cup - that's up to you - but I can get you pretty damn close in public opinion. And I can most definitely get those stands filled."

"Suppose we'll see about that," Adrian muttered from next to Oliver. He shot him a look before turning his attention back to the front of the room.

"That's what we want to hear!" Weathers said brightly. Rachel glanced at him and then back at the room.

"I am here to make you look good. We're going to completely redo your image. Make you into the quidditch superstars that I know you can be. For the next couple of weeks, my assistant and I will be sitting in on your training sessions, taking notes, and learning everything we can about each of you. And then… we're going to turn it into media gold," Rachel said, smiling at the group. "Better get comfortable with us… because this will only work if we know everything - and I do mean everything - about you."

Oliver fought off the urge to squirm again. While he was usually a rather open person, there were still things he didn't let most people know about him. He didn't like the intense way the PR woman stared at him, as though she could read his mind and see all his secrets. Perhaps she could.

Shaking the thought away, Oliver turned his gaze back to the assistant as Weathers started into a long-winded speech extolling the great work of the PR director and all the teams she helped in the US League. She kept her eyes down on the clipboard, almost as if she was too nervous to look around the room. She didn't seem as comfortable in front of the large crowd as Rachel, but every so often, she would look over at the woman, a sort of quiet confidence in her eyes.

Once again, he couldn't help but think he knew her from somewhere. Or at least had seen her somewhere before.

"Right, now that that's out of the way, I'm sure you lot are eager to meet the new coach," Weathers said, drawing Oliver's attention again. Weathers looked over to his side and motioned for someone to stand. A man who didn't look nearly old enough to be a coach stood and walked over to Weather's side. "I would like to introduce you all to Joshua Allen."

"Wasn't he assistant coach or something for the Tornadoes?" Adrian whispered. Oliver shook his head quickly.

"Finches in the US," he said, sitting up slightly in his chair.

"Really is going all out with this whole re-branding scheme," Adrian whispered. "Merlin, we're surrounded by Yanks. Next they'll be replacing yet another of us with someone from the US League."

"They've got strong numbers," Oliver replied. "And they didn't have to rebuild after a war." Adrian just shot Oliver a worried look, though he didn't say anything.

After a short and to-the-point speech by the coach, Weathers adjourned the meeting and invited everyone to help themselves to the breakfast setup. A way for all of them to get familiar with each other, as he put it. Oliver stood and moved to follow Adrian outside, though glanced over his shoulder at the assistant yet again, still not able to place her.

The coach had stepped over to the two women, seeming to know them. Rachel hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek while the assistant stood back. She offered him a nervous smile and nod before looking over the rest of the room.

For a moment their eyes met, but she quickly looked away, turning her attention back to the clipboard.

"So… what do you make of this?" Colin McAlroy, the new chaser, said as he walked up to Adrian and Oliver. His sky blue eyes fell on Oliver, who everyone knew was most likely to know the stats on nearly every player or coach in any league.

"He's been assistant with the Finches for a few years. Played with them before that - seeker. Didn't expect Weathers to get someone so young, but suppose he thought new blood would be good," Oliver replied before turning to grab a plate and perusing the food options.

"After last season, suppose even a brand-spanking new coach couldn't do any worse," Adrian said dryly. "Even if he is a Yank."

"The Finches have a solid program in large part thanks to their coach - Gregory Ayers," Oliver said, not looking over at him. "Eager to see what Allen brings to the table."

"You don't sound so eager," Wilda said, walking up to them with a small smile on her face. Oliver shrugged and glanced over at her. "Come on then, Wood. Where's that insufferable spirit of yours? Wasn't it you that said a season can change everything?" Oliver nodded, smiling slightly as the rest of the team gathered around.

"Hullo all," Meredith said breezily as she walked up to the group. "Take it everyone refrained from getting injured while I was away." She looked around the group, though lingered on Oliver a bit longer.

"As best we could," Adrian said, smiling at her. "How was Greece?"

"Lovely," she replied. She stepped over to Oliver and started reaching out for his shoulder. "Your shoulder isn't bothering you, is it?"

"I'm fine," Oliver said, stepping out of her reach. He met Adrian's eyes just behind her, who was grinning like the cheshire cat and fighting off laughter. Oliver shot him a look that clearly said to "shut it."

"Ah, good. Guess I'll see you lot later on the pitch," she said, awkwardly stepping back and turning to walk away, though she kept glancing over at him.

"She seriously doesn't get it, does she? How many times have you turned her down, mate?" Adrian asked once the woman was out of earshot.

"Apparently not enough," Oliver replied.

"She's a hopeless romantic, what did you expect?" Wilda chided.

"What's going on?" Colin asked, seeming to perk up.

"Don't. Leave the poor woman in peace," Wilda warned, giving Adrian a look.

"It always like this with you lot?" one of the new beaters, Rory asked.

"With Adrian? Usually," Wilda said, rolling her eyes slightly. "You'll get used to it." Oliver took a moment to look around the four new members. They were younger - Rory, Colin and the other beater Mark were 21, while the seeker Perry was a couple months shy of his 20th birthday. But all had some time on reserves before being called up to the Puddlemere first string.

It really was going to be a fresh start.

"So this is the team?" a voice said smoothly. They all turned, watching as Rachel glided up to them. "Let me guess… captain Wilda Griffins, chaser; Adrian Pucey, chaser; Colin McAlroy, chaser; Rory Parks, beater; Mark Lyons, beater; Perry Howard, seeker, and that must make you… Oliver Wood, keeper." She continued to study him a bit longer than the others, before turning and smiling around the group. "It's nice to finally meet you all, though I feel like I know you already from your dossiers."

"Nice to meet you as well, Ms. Meadows," Colin said, grinning at her as he pulled up to his full height.

"Please… call me Rachel. Ms. Meadows makes me sound so old," she said with a laugh and slight roll of her eyes. She then motioned to the young woman, urging her forward. "This is my assistant, Rozalyn… Just wanted to say that we're eager to work with you all and get to know each of you better over the coming months." She then stepped over and picked up a cup of tea. "Until next time…" She strode off towards the owner, who was chatting with the new coach and the head of the medical staff.

"Nice to meet you," Rozalyn said quickly before turning and rushing to follow.

"Anyone else think she look familiar?" Adrian asked. He looked over at Oliver, who was studying the young woman.

She was smartly dressed, though her robes were a muted blue and not nearly as ostentatious as Rachel's. She was about the same height and looking closely at the two, he could sense some resemblances, the most obvious being their height which was more than the average woman, or at least ones outside of quidditch. But while Rachel was all angles and sharpness with dark hair and dark, intense eyes, Rozalyn was curves and softness despite being on the leaner side, her hair a light shade of brown and her eyes gray.

"Dunno," Oliver said finally, looking around the team. He bit into a croissant and chewed.

"Seems a bit fidgety, doesn't she?" Meredith commented, looking over at the woman and causing everyone to jump. They hadn't seen her walk back up.

"Anyone would likely fidget with you staring daggers at them," Wilda replied lightly, reaching for a muffin. The healer shot a glare at her. Wilda had a no-nonsense approach to most people. Most of the staff was used to it, though Meredith still seemed to take personal offense.

"When can we get on the pitch?" Oliver asked quickly, hoping to divert another argument between the two.

"There's the Wood we all now," Wilda said with a chuckle. "We've got another hour here before we can go down."

"You think the new PR director and her assistant will be there?" Colin asked, looking back over at the two.

"What's this? You already fancying her?" Rory said, shoving him slightly.

"No… I mean…" he stuttered as the team laughed.

"Come on then…"

* * *

Roz quickened her pace, not sure how it was her aunt managed to walk so quickly in her stilettos. But sure enough, as soon as the reception had ended, the woman was striding towards their new offices on the other side of the main office.

"What do you make of them?" Rachel asked, not turning around as they walked into the antechamber of her office where Roz's desk was.

"Didn't really get a good chance to read them," Roz said with a sigh. Rachel stopped and turned to face her.

"Roz, darling, what have I told you?" she asked. Roz rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Wilda is the captain, but it seems like everyone keeps looking at the keeper," she said, propping her hand on her hip. Rachel smiled.

"I knew you'd be good," she said, turning around and continuing into her office, pulling off her robe. "I thought the same. Even the new ones are already looking to him from what little I've seen." She then stepped over to the large windows that gave her the perfect bird's eye view of the pitch. "I want you to watch the practice from the pitch. Take notes. Then come back and report to me."

"Got it," Roz said, making some notes on her clipboard.

"Get to know them a bit. Maybe chat with them on the field during the break," she said. Roz looked up at her, silent. "We need to really get to know these guys. It will help with the strategy." Roz nodded again and looked down at her clipboard. Rachel sighed and shook her head, then walked over to Roz and took her head into her hands. "Roz, dear… what did I tell you?"

"That this is a new start," Roz recited.

"It is. No one knows who you are over here. You're just my assistant - another up and coming PR guru," Rachel said, smiling softly. While she had never married nor had children, Roz had to admit that every once in a while, her aunt had a maternal streak. There was a reason she had always been her favorite. "Now's your chance to make a name for yourself. You don't even have to tell anyone that we're related." Roz smiled slightly.

"I know," she said. "And I'm grateful for the opportunity." Rachel patted her cheek and then walked away.

"Now. Get to work," she said, returning to business.

"Yes, ma'am," Roz replied, starting to turn.

"For god's sake, do not call me ma'am again!" Rachel shouted.

"Got it!"

* * *

Roz pushed her sunglasses up on her nose as she peered up into the sky, watching the team work through a new play. She had long ago lost her outer robe and had rolled up her blouse to her elbows and even undid a couple of the buttons. It was a warm day and she wished the boxes were finished so she could have at least sat somewhere air conditioned. Though she knew her aunt would have likely sent her down into the stands anyway.

"What do you think?" a voice called up to her. She looked down, catching the coach walking towards the edge of the stands. Sighing, she hopped up and made her way down towards him, glancing down at her notes.

"You've got your work cut out for you, Joshie," she said, looking back up at the players. "But they've got potential."

"Yea… I'm not completely sure why they were ranked so low last season," he said, cupping his hand over his eyes as he looked up at him. "Guessing it was the four players they got rid of."

"Good call on the chaser, beaters and seeker," Roz said. Joshua looked over at her, smiling.

"Great compliment coming from you," he replied. Roz rolled her eyes.

"Doubt it," she replied, looking down at her notes.

"We both know you have a mind for quidditch. It's in your blood," he said. Roz looked up at him.

"What did I tell you?" she said softly even though she knew there was no way the team could hear her.

"I know, I know," he said. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks," she said.

"You know they're going to find out. It's not like it's that hard," Joshua said. "You look just like him. 'Cept for your coloring. That's all your mom."

"Yea, but I'd like to keep folks from finding out as long as possible," she snapped.

"Sheesh, calm down. I said I wasn't going to say anything," Joshua said. Roz looked up at him, offering an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Joshie. Knee-jerk reaction," she replied.

"It's alright. I get it. You were given a raw deal in my opinion. And if you ever need to talk, you know you can always come to me. Us 'Yanks' have to stick together, after all," he said, smiling at her. Roz just laughed softly.

"Get back to work, Coach," she said, pushing off the barrier.

"Alright! That's enough! Bring it in!"

* * *

"They must know each other," Adrian said after they had landed and were walking over to where the coach was standing next to Roz.

"Merlin, just because they're from the same country doesn't mean they know each other. It's a big country," Wilda said, laughing.

"That's not why. Just look at them… they way they interact and such," Adrian said. "You think they're involved?" Oliver chuckled as he shook his head.

"Sure you're not just reading into things too much? Or perhaps you're just worried that you don't have a chance with her," he replied.

"I… no," Adrian said, whipping his head over to look at Oliver as the rest of the team laughed loudly. "Just… come on. None of you see it?"

"Not particularly," Wilda said. Oliver looked over at the two, noticing her smiling at the coach and shooing him off. Perhaps there was something more to Adrian's observations. The coach stepped away and walked over to the group.

"Good first practice. Think we got a lot done today. That's it for now, but I expect to see you all bright and early tomorrow for training in the gym," he shouted. "You'll be getting your personalized training regimes then." He then walked over to his assistant coach and started going over notes.

"First time in the UK?" Colin asked, walking over to the pretty assistant. She looked up at him, seeming slightly surprised that anyone was addressing her.

"No. But first time living here," she said, leaning against the barrier. "Colin, right?"

"That would be correct," he said, offering her a grin. "Rozalyn, was it?"

"Yea, but everyone calls me Roz," she said.

"You planning on sitting in on all our practices?" Adrian asked, walking over to her. Oliver looked at them and then over at Wilda who was heading into the locker rooms. He wanted to get a shower in, but at the same time, he was curious. Why did this woman seem familiar to him? And with all the newbies and Adrian now surrounding her, he felt obligated to make sure they didn't overwhelm the poor woman with their incessant flirting. Whether or not they thought she was involved with the new coach, it didn't seem to deter them.

"For a bit," she said. "Helps us to figure out the best way to promote you. Both as a team and individually."

"Well, in the spirit of getting to know us, perhaps you'd like to join us for some drinks tonight," Adrian said, turning up the charm. Oliver wanted to laugh at his teammate's attempts, but stopped himself, eager to hear her response himself. She glanced around at the players, her eyes unreadable from behind her sunglasses.

"Maybe next time," she said, pushing off from the barrier. "Got a lot of work. See you tomorrow." She then turned and easily jogged up the stairs back to her things. She then gathered them up and continued on her way.

"She is fit," Colin said once she was out of earshot. "Wonder if she is dating the coach or if she's single."

"What makes you think she'd go out with you if she was?" Oliver said, looking over at him. Colin frowned.

"She might! Looks about my age," he replied. Oliver just rolled his eyes and started towards the locker room.

"There's no way she'd ever be interested in you," he heard Adrian said. "A woman like that, she needs a real man."

"And you think that's you?" Oliver quipped, looking back over at him.

"You never know!" Adrian exclaimed. Colin and Oliver broke out into more laughter. Just before he walked into the locker rooms, he glanced behind, seeing the new coach studying them. "What is it, Wood?"

"Nothing," he said, turning to smile. "Where you lads want to go tonight?"

* * *

**Hope you guys like this one! Just a short and sweet romance. Tipsy posting for the win!**


	2. The Angle

**The Angle**

_Curses flew all around him. Oliver ducked, just missing getting hit by flying debris as another curse went wide and part of the archway overhead collapsed. Jumping to his feet, he fired off another hex and moved to help cover Alicia and Katie. _

"_Good fight, yea?" Alicia shouted._

"_Not sure anything about this is good!" he shouted back. "Everyone - STAY TOGETHER!"_

_He glanced around, seeing Katie grab Angelina and pull her out of the way of another hex, moving the both of them closer to Oliver. _

"_ADRIAN! GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE!"_

"_GOT IT CAPTAIN!" the chaser shouted back with a smirk. Oliver looked around again, noticing that he couldn't see Alicia. She had gotten separated in the chaos. He ducked another curse and searched around. _

_Finally, he saw her cornered by two death eaters against the castle wall. His eyes widened as he felt time stop. He started to run towards her, but his legs weren't working right._

"_ALICIA! NOO!"_

Oliver shot up in his bed, gasping for breath. He leaned over, wiping the sweat from his brow. The nightmares didn't come that often. Not anymore. But every once and awhile he would have one.

The battle had been hell. They only lost 50, but that was still 50 people who shouldn't have had to die. He had watched as people died. Carried bodies back into the castle. Gone to the funerals. He had even spent most of the summer in physical therapy for the injuries he had sustained.

They called him a war hero. But it was a lie. He wasn't a hero. He failed to save people when it counted. But it had been over a year. The world had moved on for the most part. There was no reason for him not to as well.

Sighing, he threw off his comforter and moved to the kitchen, figuring he'd make himself a cup of tea to try and relax before attempting to go back to sleep. Or just stay up the rest of the night. He would have to get up in a few hours to head to the gym anyway. The new coach had all of them on specialized conditioning routines that started early in the morning before team practice after lunch.

"Thought that was you," Percy said, shuffling out of his room. Oliver stopped on his way to the kitchen and looked over at his best friend. "Make me a cuppa, yea?" Sighing he nodded and continued to the kitchen, setting up the kettle. "Nightmare again?"

Oliver glanced over at him and then back at the kettle, a frown on his face.

"We've been over this, Perce," he said with a sigh.

"Yea, and you'll feel better if you talk about it," he replied. "If not with me, then at least with someone. I still have the contact for that ther-"

"I don't need to," Oliver said tersely, tension filling the kitchen as he cut off Percy. There was silence a few moments.

"Things going well with the new coach?" Percy then asked.

"Well, enough," Oliver replied. "Only been a few days."

"Yea, and I've barely seen you," Percy replied.

"Not completely my fault," he said. "You've been rather busy at the Ministry."

"True," Percy said. "George has been asking about you. Wondering if you want to stop by the shop." Oliver snorted slightly, looking over at Percy before returning to pouring the tea.

"He can owl me," he said.

"Saw him for lunch yesterday. He mentioned it," Percy said, shrugging as he walked over and took a cup of tea. "How you think things are going to go this season?"

"Better than last year," Oliver said, turning to face him as he leaned against the counter. "He's young, but he's good. Suppose the fact he's got something to prove helps."

"And this new PR maven?" Percy asked. Oliver chuckled.

"No idea there," he replied. "So far we've hardly seen her. Sends her assistant to all the practices. Though we're doing a photoshoot in a few days."

"Sounds fun," Percy said dryly.

"It's not that bad," Oliver scoffed.

"How's this assistant?" Percy asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "Roz, you said her name was?" Oliver blushed slightly. He didn't think he had mentioned her that much, but apparently enough that Percy had picked up her name. Granted, Percy had always been annoyingly observant.

She was never far from his thoughts. He still hadn't figured out much about her or why she seemed so familiar to him. And that bothered him.

"Seems friendly enough. Though standoffish," Oliver replied, looking down into his tea mug.

"And it's frustrating you," Percy replied easily.

"Is not," Oliver retorted looking up at him.

"Just ask her out already," Percy said with a chuckle.

"What makes you think I want to ask her out?" Oliver nearly shouted.

"The fact that she comes up in at least one conversation nearly every day," Percy replied with a smirk. "It's been ages. You're due a date. Or a good snog."

"I… no," Oliver said, sputtering slightly. "She's… she's… staff. That's got to be against some sort of rule."

"Please, you can date your teammates. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with dating someone who works in-house," Percy scoffed.

"Not like you're getting out there much," Oliver said. Percy just smiled.

"I have a date this week, I'll have you know," he said. Oliver's eyes widened.

"What? When did this happen?" he asked.

"Works in the regulation of magical animals department," he said, starting out of the kitchen.

"No, you don't just get to walk away from this conversation," Oliver said, following him.

"Her name is Audrey," Percy said, still walking towards his room.

"How did you even meet?" Oliver asked.

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," he replied. "For now, I've got to get to sleep." He then stepped into his room and shut the door behind him. Oliver stopped, staring at it. "JUST ASK HER OUT!" he heard through the door.

Oliver snorted and started towards his own room.

"I am not asking her out," he muttered before turning towards his own room. "Merlin, why on earth did I agree to live with you…"

"BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME!" came the cheeky reply. Oliver just rolled his eyes and shut his door.

"Merlin…"

* * *

Roz sighed as she glanced at the clock and then reached for her glass of wine, taking another drink. She had fallen asleep on the sofa watching TV as soon as she got home, her body not quite adjusted to the time change. She then woke up again around 2 a.m., unable to sleep, so decided a glass of wine might ease her back into it.

She looked at the letter that sat open on the coffee table, skimming through the messy handwriting.

It was the second one her father had sent since she arrived in London. She hadn't answered the first one yet. She knew it was silly to put it off. What happened wasn't his fault. And ultimately, she wasn't angry with him. But he was a constant reminder of what she left behind in the States. She had received several other letters from someone else and those had gone directly into the fireplace or trash without being opened.

Granted if she really wanted to get away, she would have stayed far away from quidditch. But it _was_ in her blood. There was no way she'd stay away from a pitch. She had been good at it once upon a time. And she couldn't help the rush she got every time she stepped onto a pitch or watched a match. Her work with her aunt in PR was the next best thing in her mind if she couldn't play.

Roz emptied her glass and stood, making her way to the kitchen to pour another. She glanced at the stack of magazines on her way in. Her aunt had always said it was important to keep up with all the news, so she had quickly set up subscriptions for her new address for all the major magazines as well as international magic newspapers.

She poured a bit more wine and then walked back to the living room, stopping at the table to look at the pile. She frowned as she picked the top one up and then tossed it aside, feeling her blood start to boil slightly as she saw who was on the cover. The magazine hit the wall and fell to the floor, the face on the front still winking at her.

"Mother fucker," she grumbled as she walked to the sofa and sat down, reaching for the remote and changing the channel. While her aunt had insisted on living in a large, posh flat in the middle of the wizarding district, Roz had opted for a place in a quiet muggle neighborhood where she could use a TV and other non-magical devices. Her mother's extended family was all no-maj, so Roz had grown up receiving a lot of such items for presents. She quickly fell in love with them, staying up late many nights figuring out the charms that would make them work in the very wizarding house she grew up in. As a result, phones, televisions, CD players and even computers were part of her everyday home life.

A phone chirped from a side table and she reached over, seeing the number on it.

"What's up, Mags?" she asked, happy to hear from her best friend back home.

"Oh good, you're up," came the cheerful reply. "Take it you're still not over the jetlag." Roz rolled her eyes.

"Not yet," she said, taking another sip of her wine.

"So… few days in at the new job… how are things?" Maggie asked.

"Busy. Aunt Rachel's putting me to work watching the practices and brainstorming," she said. "But she's letting me take the lead a bit more this time, which is nice."

"Tell me you're at least going out," Maggie said. Roz chuckled.

"Not yet," she confessed.

"Flippin' Cotton Mather, Roz! You're in London! Working with one of the best quidditch leagues in the world! You should sound more excited!" Maggie exclaimed. "You should be going out! Party it up with the team!"

"I haven't even been here a week, Mags! Give me time!" Roz shouted back with a laugh.

"Okay, so old Roz would have about 20 new friends and gotten drunk at least once by now," Maggie said. "Or at least gone out once or twice."

"The whole point of coming here was to lay low," Roz retorted.

"Lay low, yes. Isolate yourself, no," Maggie said. "Do you need me to come visit?"

"I'm fine, Mags," Roz said.

"By the way, your dad says hi. As does your mom," Maggie said.

"I talked to mom yesterday," Roz said, shifting on the couch uncomfortably at the mention of her father.

"You still haven't talked to your dad," came the response.

"I… yea… I know," Roz said, looking down at the wine, frowning. "That last conversation wasn't the greatest…"

"I know, but… seriously, Roz, you have one of the best dads out there and he's worried about you. You should talk to him _because of_ that last conversation," Maggie said, turning serious.

"I'm fine," Roz said with a sigh, though she glanced over the back of the sofa, seeing the magazine lying on the floor. "I just… I need to figure things out. That was the point of taking the job, after all. Getting away. Being on my own for once."

"I know," Maggie said. "Just… don't cut yourself off from everyone and everything, okay?"

"I'm not going to. Just… need a chance to make some friends," Roz said, trying to push some enthusiasm into her voice. Maggie laughed.

"Okay, that's a fucking joke," she said. "I can tell when you're lying." Roz rolled her eyes.

"I will. I promise," she said. "I have seriously been working a lot."

"So… is Puddlemere as handsome in person as they are in the magazines?" Maggie asked, a hint of laughter in her voice. Roz chuckled.

"You wanted to ask that first, didn't you?" she replied. "They are. Though some of them are a bit young for my taste. And all about what you would expect from pros… though…" She stopped, thinking to the keeper - Oliver Wood. He was a bit quieter than the others, though still seemed to joke around with them enough. And he was the only one who hadn't attempted to flirt with her yet. He had this raw intensity when he was on the pitch. The kind that made for great players. Already, he was showing a lot more promise than he had last season and playing like he had before the war.

More than that, everyone seemed to gravitate towards him. She wasn't even sure if the others noticed it. Whenever Joshua would explain a new play, they would all silently defer to him, waiting for a nod or comment or a question. He wasn't the oldest on the team or the captain, but everyone showed him the same respect as though he was.

"Roz?" Maggie said, dragging her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry… must have dozed off for a second," Roz said. Maggie just laughed.

"Right, well I'll let you go then. If it helps, how about I connect you with my cousin who lives there. Could be a good girlfriend for you to hang out with," Maggie said.

"Sounds good. Talk to you later," Roz said.

"Later."

* * *

Oliver breathed heavily as he continued lifting weights. He had been at it with the rest of the team for a good two hours. Soon they would have a break before hitting the pitch for training drills. Coach Allen planned to separate them for that and Oliver would be working with a new trainer that he had brought in just for him.

It felt good having things to focus on. Allen was already proving to be strict, but in a good way. For the first time in a long time, Oliver felt like he was getting his bearings. That he had finally let go of the mistakes from the last season. He was getting hopeful.

"So… you looking forward to this photoshoot?" Adrian asked, walking up to him. Oliver placed the barbell back and sat up, reaching for a towel to wipe his face.

"Just like any other photoshoot," he replied, looking up at him. "Why? You hear something?"

"Nah, just curious as to how you're handling it. We all know how much you hate publicity," he replied. Oliver rolled his eyes.

"It's the interviews I hate. Not the photoshoots," he replied, standing up and walking over to grab his water bottle.

"You know you're going to have to talk to them eventually," Adrian replied. "You can't avoid the reporters forever." Oliver was silent, drinking his water. He figured as much with the new PR team leaning towards a more aggressive campaign. But at the same time, he hoped they would focus on the other players. Adrian was much better at talking to reporters than he was - more charming. And Wilda was a seasoned pro at making statements. The others were young and eager to get their names out there. Surely there would be no need for anyone to interview him. He was just the keeper.

"Why would the press want to talk to me when they've got you," he finally replied, smiling at Adrian. The chaser laughed.

"I'll admit, I am better looking than you," he said. "And far more clever."

"That's 'cause you're Slytherin," Oliver quipped in return. "Snake tongue and all."

"I would be offended, but yet it still sounds like a compliment to me," Adrian replied, starting to walk towards the locker room. Oliver chuckled as he followed him.

"If this PR team is as smart as they say they are, they'll make you the Puddlemere poster boy," Oliver replied as they walked in and started pulling out their training kits for the field.

"Merlin, I hope not," Wilda said, walking in behind them. "Pucey's far too slick for that. We'll be labelled the sleazeballs of quidditch." Adrian stopped and looked over at her, though quickly noted the grin on her face.

"I resent that," he said. "I do have a medal for my contributions during the wizarding war, I'll have you know. Upstanding wizard and all that."

"Not the only one," Wilda replied, glancing at Oliver. He pointedly ignored it, keeping his focus on pulling off his t-shirt.

"I think I could be the face of Puddlemere," Colin interjected. The entire team stopped and looked over at him a moment before bursting into loud later. "What? I could be!"

"Think you're getting ahead of yourself, pup," Adrian said.

"Not like you did all that much last season," Colin shot back.

"Oi, let's not get into that," Oliver said quickly, hoping to stave off what could be a loud, obnoxious row. "All that matters is that we turn things around. All it takes is a season to change things." Wilda grinned at him.

"So we've heard," she said. "Come on, lads. According to Wood, we've got a season to save…"

* * *

Roz ran into her office and tossed her bag down on her desk. She was nearly late. And even though she knew her aunt would give her a pass, she didn't want to make a habit of it. After the phone call with her best friend, she had been up another hour or so watching reruns before finally falling asleep on the couch and just barely hearing her last emergency alarm as it went off in her room.

She had barely had time to dry and style her hair before rushing out of the apartment to The Leaky Caldron where she could floo into the head office at the Puddlemere stadium. She was still waiting for the Ministry of Magic to send someone out to connect her home fireplace to the floo network so she could leave directly from there.

At least then getting to work would be far less hectic.

"Good to see you made it," Rachel said, walking into the antechamber of her office just behind Roz. "In a rush?"

"I didn't want to be late," Roz said, staring at her aunt. Rachel glanced at her wristwatch and back up at Roz.

"Seems you're right on time," she said lightly. "Come on. We need to discuss the photoshoot before you go down to watch practice. I want to hear your thoughts on who should be featured." Roz began digging through files on her desk, then quickly followed her aunt into her office after grabbing her notes.

"I thought it was a team photoshoot and everyone was getting new portraits made for banners and promotion," Roz said, not looking up. "We could just choose afterwards and all."

"They are. But we need one person in particular to be the face of the new Puddlemere," Rachel said as she removed her outer robe and hung in on a coat stand next to her desk then began to remove her hat. "The poster boy - or girl - to be exact. The person who is going to set the tone for the rest of the team."

Roz looked up at her aunt, who was waiting patiently for her to say something.

"Well… I mean, Wilda is the captain, so it would make sense to use her," she said. Rachel lifted an eyebrow.

"But?"

"But what?"

"I sense that you've picked up on some things. Any good stories that we need to tell or spin? Anything to add on Oliver Wood?" Rachel asked, finally moving to sit down. Roz walked over and sat in the chair opposite her desk.

"Well… to be honest, the more I watch them, the more I feel like he is the real center of the team," she replied. "Just keeps being reaffirmed." Rachel nodded slowly.

"I like where you're going with this. He has been in the program the longest - he and the Pucey guy - and, he's a war hero. There's potential there," she said. "Everyone loves a war hero."

"War hero?" Roz asked. She didn't know about this.

"Yea, he and Pucey fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. Apparently, Wood saved a few people or something," Rachel replied, now looking over her diary for the day's schedule. "Run with it. See what you come up with. And maybe see if you can get anything more about it while you're at the practice this afternoon."

Roz stood to her feet.

"Sure," she said, starting towards the door.

"Wait, come back!" Rachel yelled. Roz stopped and walked back over. "Take these downstairs. Josh was asking for them." Rachel held out some papers for her. "It's the details on the new uniforms."

"Got it," Roz said, taking them before turning and walking off.

"Oh, and see about someone getting me some coffee, please! I'm sick and tired of tea all the damn time," Rachel shouted. Roz chuckled.

"Got it!

* * *

Roz rushed through the hallways of the lower part of the stadium, stopping every so often to look around. She still hadn't figured out the inner workings of the place and felt like she was hopelessly lost.

"Would it kill them to put in some signs around here?" she muttered to herself.

"Used to have them, but guess they forgot to put them back up after the renovations," a deep voice said from behind her. Roz jumped slightly and turned around, seeing Oliver standing there. "Perhaps if you told me what you were looking for, I could help."

"Ah, just need to drop these off with Joshie- I mean - Coach Allen," she said, starting to blush. Cotton Mather on a stick, so much for keeping that under wraps. Oliver raised his eyebrows in amusement. He caught the slip-up, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. There was something between the two. Though he wasn't sure why it bothered him.

"This way, then," he said, motioning back down the hallway behind him.

"Thanks," Roz said, falling into step with him. Oliver glanced over at her, realizing it was the first time he had ever been alone around her. Or even really spoken to her at length. He usually let the others ask the questions or do the talking when she would chat with them on the field during breaks in their practices or afterwards. But she never stuck around long, usually citing some sort of work that she needed to do before running off.

"So, ehm, you always been into quidditch?" he asked.

"Yea, pretty much. Played a bit in school but never really went pro," Roz said lightly, finding it surprisingly easy to talk to him. "Take it, it was the same for you." Oliver chuckled.

"Suppose you could say that. Though you talk to my friends and they'll likely tell you I was obnoxiously obsessed," he said. Roz stopped and looked up at him, her gray eyes looking deep into his. Oliver felt like looking away but found that he couldn't.

"Nah, I'd call it dedication," she said with a smile before turning and continuing to walk. "I've seen it before." Oliver looked after her a moment before catching up to her.

"You familiar with the coach?" he asked after a few moments, surprising himself by the question. Roz looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Just… you seem to know each other… and…" he stuttered.

"Suppose the nickname gave that away," Roz said, laughing nervously. "We know each other from my last job. Rachel and I did PR for the Finches." Oliver nodded slowly. Made sense, though he felt there was more to the story. More that Roz currently did not seem inclined to share. Fair enough. They didn't really know each other, after all.

"How you finding things? Getting around well enough?" Oliver asked.

"Yea, though it's mostly been work. Haven't had much of a chance to get out," she admitted.

"That's a shame. There's a lot to see around the Alley and country," Oliver replied. "I could maybe show you around this weekend… if you're free that is." He suddenly froze, not sure where that came from. Perhaps he was feeling some sort of way about the assistant. Roz glanced up at him but returned her focus forward.

"Thanks, but I'm meeting a friend of a friend. Or well, cousin of a friend. My best friend's cousin, I mean," she said, feeling herself ramble slightly - a nervous habit of hers. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Joshua through the window of a door, happy to get away from the handsome keeper before she overshared anything else. "But yea, thanks. For the offer. And for showing me to the office. I should get these to the coach." She then rushed ahead, pushing her way through the door and shutting it behind her before either could say anything else.

Oliver stood and watched her, a weird feeling coming over him. It wasn't like he had expected her to say yes to his offer - he hadn't even really thought it over before it came spilling out of his lips. But he had hoped maybe she would. He watched as she spoke with the coach, handing over the papers. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Oliver before quickly turning around again, her back to him.

"What's got you in a state?" Adrian asked, walking up next to Oliver. "Ah… watching Roz, are we?"

"Nah," he said quickly, turning to walk back to the locker room. "Come on, we're running behind." Adrian just chuckled.

"Whatever, mate…"

* * *

**So I got a bit creative with American wizarding curse words. I get why British wizards use Merlin even though he's supposed to be the most revered (or one of them) wizards ever. But being American, I thought they might use one of the biggest instigators of the witch trials in Salem as a curse word.**

**Anywho... going to try and post a few chapters tonight since this one is done. Enjoy!**


	3. B-Roll

**B-Roll**

"_Been looking around for you," a deep voice said. Roz looked up from her desk, seeing Oliver walk into her office._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked, straightening up._

"_I wanted to see you," he replied, smiling at her._

"_Me?"_

"_Who else?" he replied, still walking towards her. Roz froze as he neared her, her heart starting to race._

"_I, ah, I… don't think this is appropriate," she said weakly. She didn't even believe the words as they came out of her mouth. Damn. She couldn't help as a flurry of butterflies swarmed her stomach and she felt like she was about to jump out of her skin. What was it about those eyes and the way he was looking at her? Not to mention that sexy voice of his. _

"_Damn what's appropriate," he said softly, stopping just inches from her. "Thought you liked breaking the rules."_

"_I don't do that anymore," she whispered. "I just want to live a quiet life."_

"_Sure you do. Then why haven't you pushed me away?" he asked, bending down towards her. Roz sighed._

"_Fuck the rules," she muttered, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her._

_It was a steamy kiss to be sure. Just a few seconds in and Roz already felt like she had too many clothes on for this. She was simultaneously hot and tingly all over as Oliver reached down and gripped her waist, lifting her up and setting her on the desk. She sighed as his lips moved down to her neck and she arched her back, a smile playing across her lips._

"_You always did like that," Oliver said, though it didn't sound like Oliver. Roz's eyes flew open as she pushed the body away from her. It wasn't Oliver's brown eyes looking down at her. But rather very different ones. These were dark green. It was someone completely different._

"_What are you doing here?" she asked, gripping her blouse shut in front of her._

"_Come on, Roz. You think he's any different?" he asked. "He's just like me. They all are."_

"_You don't know that," she spat back._

"_And you do? What do you even know about him? Nothing," the man said, starting to laugh. "God, you always were so pathetic. Look at you. Having a steamy high-school dream about a man you don't even know. Good one."_

"_SHUT UP!"_

* * *

Roz woke with a start, her eyes flying open as she stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She had many dreams about Riley since the breakup. But usually they involved her killing him in various painful ways that always started with castration. This one hit a little too hard for her.

She rolled over, seeing the time. Her alarm was to go off in 30 minutes. Sighing, she sat up and decided she might as well get up and start getting ready. There was no way she'd get back to sleep after that. Her body felt odd as she was equal parts upset and turned on.

It also wasn't her first dream about the keeper, though this one was certainly steamier than the others. Usually they just involved talking to him. Occasionally a kiss. Only once before had they made out. This was definitely heading into more X-rated territory before Riley had shown up and ruined it.

"Get a grip, Roz," she muttered to herself as she padded into the kitchen to start her coffee pot. "He's on the team. Fucking get over it. No more quidditch players. You swore to yourself."

She then stopped and tossed her head back, groaning as she looked up at the ceiling.

"And now you're talking to yourself. Fucking Cotton Mather, you need to get out," she said, shaking her head. She was in serious need of some girlfriends to hang out with. At the very least to get away from work and get her mind off the handsome quidditch player and her past. Suddenly, she couldn't wait until she met up with Maggie's cousin that weekend. If she was anything like Mags, the two were sure to hit it off and there were many girls' nights coming up in their futures. She might even divulge her current teeny, tiny developing crush on Oliver Wood.

Roz couldn't help that she was drawn to him. Just a few minutes of watching him play and it was a wonder anyone watched anything else in the match. From the intense, near manic look that came into his eyes, to the way he moved in the air. Not to mention his muscles rippling in his arms just under his practice uniform.

Roz shook her head quickly, pulling herself out of the daydream. She was doing it again.

"Get yourself together," she muttered, turning on her heel and stomping towards the bathroom. "Idiot…"

* * *

Oliver gripped the broom handle as he watched Colin, Adrian, and Wilda fly in and out of each other, easily moving through the new play Coach had them trying out. They were gutsy. And completely different than what he was used to, but Oliver liked it. He could tell the young coach had put a lot of thought into the strategy as well as taking in the team's individual strengths.

It was where the previous coach had gone wrong, choosing to stick to outdated plays that the other teams had quickly picked up on. There was only so much he could do if the chasers were unable to score half the time.

He started flying back and forth in front of the hoops slowly, watching as they pulled off an intricate pass at lightning speed, grimacing slightly at the sharp ache in his left shoulder. It didn't usually bother him that much anymore, but the extensive training of late seemed to have riled up his old injury. He'd need to alternate heat and ice on it again that night when he got back home. And keep from grimacing too much on the pitch, less Meredith wrangle him into the clinic for longer than he cared to be. He had it on good authority that she invented random checkups on it from the head healer as an excuse to get him in there with his shirt off.

Suddenly, he came to a stop, watching as the chasers moved closer to him. His eyes moved quickly, following the quaffle as it moved among the three of them. Finally, it fell to Adrian, who feinted right. Oliver shot off to the left, easily catching it before it passed through the hoop.

"Nice save!" he heard the coach shout from the sidelines. "Bring it in!"

"How'd you do that?" Colin asked in awe as Oliver caught up to them and they moved towards the pitch.

"Didn't you know? Wood here is one of the greatest keepers in Hogwarts history," Adrian replied. "Certainly kept Slytherin worried."

"I don't know about that," Oliver said, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly.

"Ah, and he's modest as well," Wilda added. "And one of the main reasons we weren't completely in last place last season."

"I beg to differ," Adrian said, scowling at her as she laughed.

The group landed and stood in the middle of the field, waiting for the coach to come over. Glancing over, Oliver noticed he was bent over, speaking to Roz, who was pointing things out on her ever present clipboard. He started wondering just what it was she wrote down every day.

"Still think there's something there," Adrian said, also studying them. "She seems comfortable around him."

"She said they worked together before. On the Finches," Oliver said. The team looked over at him, surprised. "Suspect that's why they're friendly."

"How'd you find that out?" Adrian asked. Oliver glanced over at him.

"Just asked her," he said. "The other day when I helped her find the coach's office." Adrian looked over at the two, taking in the information. "Still plotting your move?"

"So what if I am? I don't see any of the rest of you trying," he replied with a smile. "That is if she's not already dating the coach. But she hasn't said anything yet, so there's still hope." Oliver looked back over at the two. A look passed between them, with Roz frowning. She started to stomp off before Coach Allen reached out and lightly grabbed her arm, quickly saying something in response. She just shook her head and then stared at him a moment before nodding and saying something else. The coach smiled and then turned and walked up to the team.

"You might be onto something there," Oliver found himself saying, looking over to Adrian. "Seemed there was something more to the story when I spoke with her…"

"Merlin, and I thought the Harpies were a bunch of gossips," Wilda quipped. "You lot are worse."

"Care to fill us in on your womanly insight?" Adrian asked, grinning at her. Wilda just rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so that was good, but there are still some weak points," Coach Allen said, still approaching the group. Oliver turned his attention to the man, listening as he started pointing out the chasers' weaknesses, before moving on to pointers for the beaters and the seeker. He then looked over at Oliver.

"And Wood. Good saves today. Keep it up," he said. Oliver nodded.

"Thanks, Coach," he replied. The coach then dismissed them and started over to Roz again. The woman had been studying the group closely during the entire exchange, her gray eyes fixed on Oliver. He quickly looked away, feeling like he was about to blush.

"What's this? Wood got a crush?" Wilda asked softly, falling into step with him. Oliver looked over at her, eyes wide.

"No," he said immediately. "Just… she seems to be studying us rather closely…"

"Suppose it goes with the territory," Wilda said lightly, looking back over to the coach and assistant. "And then reporting back everything to the director."

"What do you make of it?" Oliver asked. Wilda shrugged and turned to look back at him.

"Dunno," she replied. "Can't seem to get a good read on her. She never really says anything when she watches practice, except to the coach. Just takes notes, maybe asks a few questions, and then leaves." Oliver nodded.

"Suppose we'll see what it's all for at the photoshoot," he replied.

"Suppose we will…"

* * *

"Got anything for me?" Joshua asked, walking up to Roz where she was standing on the sidelines. She turned her gaze from the team to the coach, her eyes wide. "Come on. We both know you used to point out things for your dad at practice." She just rolled her eyes before looking down at her notes.

"Pucey is good, but he's still giving away his direction just before he passes," she said. "Wilda could be a smidge faster and Colin nearly missed a couple of those passes. Your beaters need to speed up and I don't know what the hell you've got your seeker doing, but I hope it's going to help during matches. And Wood…" She looked up, watching as the players huddled up in the middle of the pitch. "No notes on him. His speed has already improved a lot. Keep up whatever training you've got him on."

Joshua smiled down at her.

"Good points," he said. Roz looked up at him.

"Why isn't Wood the captain?" she asked suddenly. "Seems like everyone looks to him more so than Wilda."

"Well, she was captain last year. Didn't feel right to take it away from her," Joshua replied. "But he is kind of the unofficial captain."

"Why is that?" Roz pushed. Joshua shrugged.

"Still figuring them out, but he's got a good head for strategy and plays," Joshua said. "I can see why the previous coach relied on him a lot last year." Roz raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" she replied.

"Yea, but I need him focused on playing keeper this season. It's the only way we're going to get more wins. I'm pretty sure that's why he wasn't as good last year - stretched too thin. And still recovering from an injury," he said, glancing over at them. He then looked back at Roz and smiled. "Feels like old times, doesn't it?" Roz looked up at him.

"This is nothing like old times," she replied. "In fact, I'd rather not remember old times."

"It wasn't all bad," Joshua said. Roz just stared at him a moment before turning and starting to walk away, the dream still fresh in her mind. The cruel words that dream Riley had said to her. And then the cruel words that real Riley had said. A cold dread slipped into her stomach for a moment as she remembered his final threat.

"I don't have time for this," she said.

"Hey, Roz! Come on! Stop!" Joshua called out, stepping over and grabbing her arm. She stopped and glared at him. "I'm sorry. I promise to watch it. Don't go." Roz shook her head and then looked at him a few moments.

"Fine," she said, finally relenting. "But remember, I'm only here for work."

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "Stick around and we can go over more stuff afterwards."

"Sure," Roz replied with a sigh.

* * *

Later that night, Roz walked back into her aunt's office, two coffee mugs in hand. She knew it was bad to be drinking it this late, but from the looks of her aunt's office, neither of them would be leaving soon. They were still in the midst of finalizing everything for the photoshoot, not to mention the new team uniforms were supposed to be dropped off at some point and Rachel refused to leave until they got there.

"Soo… what do you think?" Rachel asked as Roz stepped up to her side, the older woman looking at a giant board that held head shots of all the players along with short bios and their stats. There were also sketches of the new uniforms.

"I like the uniforms," Roz said, taking a drink as she studied them. They were certainly different from all the other teams in that they moved away from more traditional robes. They were more fitted and had zero tail or robes to them at all.

"Had the best sports designers working on them for ages," Rachel said. "Mark my words, robes are on the outs. Soon every team in the league will be copying this look. But that's not what I was asking about. Who is our star?"

Roz frowned slightly as she looked over the head shots. Adrian was certainly the most handsome of the group, but he seemed to be a bit too much of a jokester.

"Usually it's the captain or lead chaser, right?" Roz mused. "But, outside Wilda, none of them seem to have a strong enough impression… though Pucey does have a bit more character than the others."

"That leaves Wilda and Oliver," Rachel said, looking over at Roz. "You find out anything more?" Roz thought over everything she had observed and discussed with Joshua.

"He's media shy according to what I've overheard," she replied. "I don't know how we work around that."

"Easy. Give him lessons," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "Train him. But not too much. We don't want it to look like a talking monkey out there." Roz frowned slightly as she put her coffee mug down and walked up to the board, crossing her arms in front of her.

She felt like there was something more there. Something she would only figure out by getting closer to the team. There was a hint of it in his eyes. Even when he smiled or joked around, there was a lingering sadness there. But being too close to the team came with its own risks.

"Crap. You forgot the sugar again," Rachel said. She turned and walked out of her office, likely going to grab it from the tea trolley that was always stationed near the entrance to Roz's office.

Roz sighed as she slipped out of her heels and sat on the meeting table, staring at the board. She pulled her legs up underneath her and started massaging her feet. She was going to need to work on her charm work a bit more if Aunt Rachel insisted on her wearing heels all the time.

_Wear your height with pride, _she liked to tell her often. As if it was some sort of spell that would magically give her confidence. Roz did have confidence, more so now than before she left. And there had been a time when she was positively brimming with it - bordering on arrogance. But that was a long time ago.

Roz preferred to be in the background now. She had spent her whole life in the spotlight in one form or another thanks to her dad and who she was. And then her ex. There was a time when she loved it, but she had started retreating from it. And still she found herself in the middle of it when she least wanted to be. She was hoping to settle into a quiet life here in England. One that didn't involve her personal life splashed in headlines.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Roz continued studying the photos, tilting her head to the side.

"You know… I think Wood might be good," she said loudly, hoping her aunt heard her. "He's got that clean-cut, boy-next-door look. The ladies'll love it. Guys too. He's not too intimidating. And he seems to be the anchor of the team. Stability is good. We can work with the shyness. Maybe an air of mystique could work in our favor?"

"That so?" a deep voice said from the door.

Roz whipped her head over, nearly falling over as she hopped off the table. Oliver smiled as he leaned against the doorframe, nearly filling it. On the outside, he seemed the perfect picture of calm, though the mention of him in terms of the PR plan had sent his heart racing. He had meant to speak as soon as he arrived or knock or something. But he had gotten caught up in watching her and found he didn't want to interrupt her.

"Um, yea… makes for good press," she said, feeling her cheeks heat up. She looked around for her outer robe, but quickly gave up, instead doing up the buttons on her blouse that she had absentmindedly undone earlier in an attempt to get more comfortable. She had been avoiding talking to him all day, still reliving the steamy part of the dream before her ex popped up and ruined it. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just looking for Rachel," he said, pushing off the frame. "Needed my times for the photoshoot tomorrow."

Roz stepped up to the table, quickly shuffling through some parchments and thankful for the distraction. He was good looking, that was for sure. And there was this air of calm about him. A soft kindness in his eyes. But the last thing Roz wanted was to get involved with another quidditch player.

She had learned her lesson.

"Right, here's the timetable," she said, quickly walking over to him, holding it out. She smiled slightly as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Oliver glanced over the sheet and then looked over at the board.

"So, this is how the magic happens?" he asked. Roz looked back over at the board and then back at him.

"Guess so," she replied, crossing her arms in front of her. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Nope, that's it," he said, starting to turn towards the door. He then stopped and turned around. He didn't know why he was trying again. But something felt like he should.

"The team is planning to get drinks after the shoot tomorrow. Would you like to join us? Seems a good way for you to get to know us… since that's your whole thing right? Get to know us to find the right strategy?" he asked. He hoped by posing it as a group thing, she might be willing to come. And truthfully, the whole team _was_ curious about her. She had just moved to a new country and this was a good way for her to make new friends, he told himself, trying to convince himself that he was asking for her sake and not because he thought she was beautiful and intriguing.

"I, uh, don't think I can make it," she said. "Rachel's got me working pretty hard on… this. Sorry."

"No worries, then. I'll see you tomorrow," he said. With one more smile he turned and walked towards the door, stopping a moment to wave at her. Roz smiled tightly, waving in return. Once he was gone, she let out the breath she had been holding, leaning against the table.

"What did Oliver want?" her aunt asked, striding into the room.

"Just the schedule for tomorrow," Roz said, looking over at her. Rachel stopped, taking in her flushed face.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a small smile on her face. Roz huffed and pushed off the table.

"I mean, he asked if I wanted to get drinks with the team afterwards, but I said no. Obviously," she said. Rachel laughed loudly.

"Darling, you don't have to avoid them," she said walking over to her. "And really, it would help us out if you were on friendlier terms with them. They'll be more comfortable around someone their own age than an old fart like me and open up more."

"I know, but… god, I just don't want to… you know… get caught up," Roz said. Rachel nodded slowly.

"Right… caught up in those dark brown eyes of Oliver Wood," she said, batting her eyes at Roz as she walked up to her side. Roz groaned as she pushed her away playfully.

"You know what I mean," she said.

"Yes, I know. And I think it's a good decision not to mix work and pleasure. But there's nothing wrong with getting to know the team better," Rachel said. "And you are too young to be spending all your free time with me, though I do enjoy the company. This is your chance to start fresh. Get out there. Meet people your own age. Make some friends."

"Yea, where am I supposed to do that? I'm stuck here most of the time and I work in frickin' quidditch," Roz complained.

"Go out with the team. Get to know them. Surely they can introduce you to their friends," Rachel said casually. Roz glanced at her, a dubious look on her face. "It's a good start and better than you sitting in your apartment every night watching movies all alone when you're not at my place."

Roz sighed and shook her head.

"Fine, I'll go," she said. Rachel clapped her hands and grinned.

"Fabulous. And I know just what outfit you should wear," she said, starting for the door.

"Where are you going? We still have work to do!" Roz shouted. "And the uniforms aren't here yet!" Rachel stopped and looked back at her.

"Shit, you're right. Okay. We work and wait on the uniforms and then we're going straight to yours to pick out an outfit," she said, walking back to the board. "Besides, I think I just got a good idea where to go with all this." Roz sighed, thankful that her aunt was back on track. Perhaps she would forget about the outfit by the time they were through. "What was it you were saying about boy next door…"

* * *

"You get the schedule?" Adrian asked as Oliver walked back into the locker room. He was showered, dressed and packed up, waiting on the keeper. Percy had gotten rather good at cooking, so it wasn't unusual for the chaser to follow Oliver home when they weren't going out with the others. Adrian lived alone and still hadn't figured out the ins and outs of cooking. How he ate whenever he wasn't at Oliver's or out with the team, Oliver had no clue. Assumed it was a lot of takeout.

"Yea, seems we start pretty early," he said, handing it over to Adrian and then reaching down for his own bag. Adrian glanced at it and then looked up at Oliver, immediately noting the slight blush on his face.

"What's this about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Oliver said quickly.

"You're blushing," Adrian said.

"Am not," Oliver retorted. Adrian started laughing.

"I knew it! You fancy the assistant as well!" he proclaimed.

"Do not!" Oliver said, now frowning at him.

"Come off it. It's fine if you do. The rest of the team save Wilda seems to fancy her," Adrian said. "And it's not like we have many single, pretty faces around here to look at."

"Seriously, Adrian. I just think she could use some friends. Can't be hard moving to a new country on your own," Oliver replied. Adrian just stared at him a moment before continuing on.

"Whatever you say, mate," he said, chuckling. "Let's go. I'm starving."


	4. Embargo

**Embargo**

Oliver stood in the locker room with the rest of the team, staring down at the new uniforms. They were odd. Nothing like anything he had worn or seen on a pitch before. He couldn't decide what he thought about them. The material was different as was the shape and design. Not to mention, there were no robes. Just a jersey that was slightly reminiscent of what Hogwarts had changed their uniforms to after he graduated. But there was no tail. Just the trousers and jerseys.

"These are… interesting," Adrian said, glancing over at Oliver. It seemed like the entire team was waiting for his judgement.

"Trust me, it's the latest in athletic tech," Rachel said, striding into the locker room, Roz and Coach Allen just behind her. "And quite fashionable."

"Didn't realize we were in a fashion show," Colin remarked, which earned him a sharp elbow to the ribs by Wilda. Rachel just laughed.

"I know. They're different," she said. "But if you'll take a closer look at the fabric, it's breathable and aerodynamic. The fit will also help you move more easily through the air - never understood why everyone was so keen on capes and robes. They just bog you down. Trust me… next season, every team in the league will be adopting this style." They all glanced at the coach.

"It's been tested. What she says is true," he said, though his tone read that he wasn't as convinced. There was silence.

"You'll be ahead of even the US League in these," Rachel added.

"I think it's worth trying out," Oliver said, finally speaking out. All eyes turned to him. "I mean… at least before we dismiss it." Rachel grinned as she glanced back at Roz, winking at her.

"Perfect. We'll leave you, but I can't wait to see them on," she said, turning and quickly striding out of the room, Roz just behind her.

"Really?" Adrian whispered as the rest of the team started undressing and getting into the uniforms. Thankfully they wouldn't need all their padding for the photoshoot. Could get warm in the summer sun and they had a long day ahead of them. Oliver shrugged as he held his jersey up and pulled it.

"Seems to have more stretch than the others," he replied. "Just put the damn thing on."

"Fine…"

* * *

"Alright, perfect!" the photographer shouted. Oliver sighed, struggling to keep the pose. It felt like they had been standing around staring at the camera for days, but it had only been a few hours. "Just a few more shots and then we can break for lunch!"

"Merlin, finally," Adrian muttered.

"What? Pretty boy doesn't like the camera?" Wilda quipped.

"Shut it," Adrian snapped.

"And that's a wrap! When we get back, I want less snark and more smoldering!" the photographer shouted, already walking away, handing the camera to an assistant. The team moved over to a tent that was set up on the pitch with a wide array of food and cooling charms.

"Seems we're right on schedule. You've got about 45 minutes for lunch and then we'll start on individuals before getting a few more team shots," Rachel said. "Lookin' good, all of you." She then walked over to speak with Weathers, leaving Roz to check over the food. Oliver glanced over at her as she walked up to the coach, who was looking slightly uncomfortable in his new coaching uniform.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed with these," Adrian said, looking down at the uniform. "Much more breathable than the old ones. I'd of been completely drenched by now in the old ones."

"And you're sure it has nothing to do with the fact that it shows off your muscles?" Wilda asked, an eyebrow cocked.

"Oh, it does, doesn't it," Adrian said, flexing his bicep. "Hadn't noticed." Wilda just rolled her eyes as she chuckled.

"I'm eager to see what they're like up in the air," Perry said, looking down at his. "Think it'll give me an edge out flying the other seekers."

"What do you think, Wood? Wood!" Adrian said. Oliver snapped his head over to look at them, not realizing he had been watching Roz and the coach.

"I like them," he said before wandering over to the food.

"He's a bit quieter than usual," Rory commented, watching him curiously. "You think he's got a thing for Roz too?" Wilda looked over at Adrian, who quickly diverted his eyes to the food.

"Who knows," he said breezily before walking off.

* * *

"You look uncomfortable," Roz said, smiling slightly at Joshua.

"Just not used to it," he replied. Roz chuckled.

"I'm sure Charlie's gonna love it. Shows off that hot bod of yours," she joked. Joshua shot her a look. "You know he will. Granted he'd love you in a potato sack." Joshua blushed slightly at the mention of his partner. The two had been together since school and Roz was a frequent guest at their place back in the US. "He make the move over yet?"

"Not yet. But planning to get here next month," he replied. "Got a job lined up and everything."

"We should hang out when he gets here," Roz suggested. Joshua looked over at her, a perplexed look on his face.

"Seems you're in a good mood," he replied, pulling at the sleeves. Roz glanced over at the team.

"Got plans tonight," she said breezily. "Figured it was time to get out into the world."

"You're going out with the team, aren't you?" he said. Roz looked over at him and shrugged, a slight smile on her face. Truth be told, once she got over herself, she was actually a bit excited about hanging out with the team. Her aunt was right. This was a new start for her, and it was about time she started enjoying herself. Getting out. Having fun. Once upon a time, she had loved going out with the Finches.

"They offered. I decided to take it up," she said. "Need to get to know them anyway."

"They aren't bad," he replied. "Sure the young ones are loud and at times obnoxious. And Pucey's got one thing on his mind besides quidditch. But Wilda's got a good head on her shoulders and dry sense of humor. Though, still don't know a lot about Wood. Seems nice enough." Roz nodded slowly.

"Seems you got a good team to work with," she said, smiling. "Looking forward to the first match."

"We've got a scrimmage coming up in a few weeks. You coming?" he asked.

"Wouldn't miss it," she replied. "Gotta see you in your big coaching debut." Joshua just stared at her. "What?"

"Seriously, did your aunt slip something into your coffee this morning? What is it?" he asked. "You're telling me that this is seriously just because you're going for drinks with the team later?"

"Maybe," she said. "Gotta check in with Aunt Rachel. I'll be back."

She then strode off, her hair swinging behind her as a bounce entered her step. Joshua was slightly stunned at the sudden transformation. It reminded him of how she was before the shit hit the fan with Riley. Perhaps she finally was seeing this as a new start.

* * *

"Good, good," Rachel said, nodding her head as she looked over the photographer's plans for the rest of the shoot. She looked over at the team and back at him. "Any way we can get some shots of Wood up in the air in front of the hoops?" The photographer just stared at her. "What? Can't be impossible."

"I would have to get on a broom," he said. "With that." He pointed to the table full of magical camera equipment.

"What? You've never been on a broom?" she asked simply. The photographer rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"I suppose if I must," he said before stomping off.

"What was that?" Roz asked, walking up.

"Seems he doesn't care for the idea of getting up on a broom," Rachel said, amused.

"I will need help!" the photographer shouted. "None of my assistants know how to use a bloody broom!" Rachel glanced over at Roz, smiling.

"Got that covered! Get some food!" she shouted back. Roz looked up from her clipboard, catching the look on her aunt's face as she pulled her sunglasses off, a full-on grin appearing.

"What?" she asked. She looked over at the photographer and back at her aunt. "No."

"Come on! You love flying! All you'll need to do is hold shit for him," she replied. "It'll be fine." Roz rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but I'm changing and getting my own damn broom," she said, striding off. "There's no way in hell I'm getting up on one of those in heels and a skirt!"

"Love you, Roz!" Rachel called back cheerfully.

"Everything going okay?" Weathers asked, walking up to her.

"Oh yes, perfect," Rachel replied, looking over at him. "Don't worry. We'll make 'em look good."

"I must admit, I thought you a bit mad with those uniforms, but seeing them on, I rather like them," he said.

"It sets you apart. Tells the world that Puddlemere is groundbreaking. Willing to take risks. That Puddlemere means business this season," Rachel said emphatically.

"I like the sound of that," Weathers said, looking around the stadium.

"By the way, I've got a press day set up for the week before the season opener," Rachel said. "We're going to give them a grand tour of the stadium and reveal the new uniforms. Should have all the new banners ready by then and a scheme in place."

"What sort of scheme?" Weathers asked.

"The new face of Puddlemere, darling. What else?" she replied, smiling. "Just leave the details to me." She then winked at him and walked over to the food and drink tent. Weathers just shook his head.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," he muttered to himself.

* * *

"Ehm… so you want me where?" Oliver asked, standing at the base of the hoops, broom in hand as he stared at the photographer, who was looking a bit squeamish as he held a broom at arm's length.

"Up in the air," he replied. An assistant stood nearby, holding a couple bags that held all the camera equipment. "We're just waiting on my new assistant." Oliver nodded, wondering if this was to be a massive disaster. None of the assistants looked as though they could handle carrying all the equipment up on a broom. The rest of the team had gathered around, curious as to how this would work out. "Where is she…"

"Here!" a voice called out. All looked over, seeing Roz jog up. She had changed out of the suit she had been wearing and into a pair of tight athletic shorts and tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had a well-kept, high-end broom in her hand. Oliver couldn't help as his eyes widened. He swore it was a Firebolt. Most of the team still didn't have those. More than that, it was obvious that she had been hiding a well-sculpted body underneath all those professional robes. She looked as though she were solid, lean muscle. "Sorry. Had to run home to change and grab my broom."

"There weren't enough already here?" the photographer asked, annoyed. "We are on a bloody quidditch pitch."

"Prefer using my own if I'm going up in the air," she retorted, stepping up to the assistant with the equipment and grabbing it roughly.

"Careful!" the photographer screeched. "Are you sure you can carry all that?!" Roz rolled her eyes.

"Surely it's not heavier than quidditch padding," she complained as she slid the bags on, barely registering the weight if they had been heavy. Oliver looked over at the team.

"She plays quidditch?" Adrian mouthed to him. Oliver just shrugged.

"Now gently… gently!" the photographer shouted, watching in horror as Roz backed up a few feet and then took a running start, easily hopping on the broom and gliding up into the air. "IT'S EXPENSIVE!" Oliver couldn't help but chuckle as she came to a stop and rolled her eyes.

He then hopped up on his broom and soared up, stopping to hover in front of the hoops.

"Seem to handle a broom well," he said as they waited for the photographer to get on the broom provided for him. It was taking a while.

"Told you I used to play," she replied.

"Yea, but from the looks of it, you've been keeping up with it," he called back. "And surely you weren't playing on one of those in school." Roz just shrugged.

"It's like riding a bike. Never really leaves you," she said, ignoring the comment about her Firebolt. Her dad always bought her the latest, most expensive brooms, this one being a graduation gift. But he didn't need to know that. They both looked down as the photographer wobbled up into the air, coming to a shuddery stop next to Roz.

"Right then, let's get this over with…"

* * *

Oliver chuckled as Colin hilariously reanimated the photographer getting up on the broom for the group for the fifth time since they had arrived. They had settled around a large table at the pub, eager to unwind after the photoshoot. While the rest of it had been firmly on the ground, it was surprisingly tiring posing all day. Though he couldn't help but glance towards the door for the 10th time.

"I thought you said she wasn't coming," Adrian said, looking towards the door, a large grin appearing.

"That's what she-" Oliver stopped as he turned as saw Roz standing and looking around the noisy pub, a bit lost. She nervously pulled the strap of her purse higher up on her shoulder as she looked around, her eyes worriedly searching the faces around her. His eyes widened as he slid off his stool and started towards her. "Roz." She looked over, meeting his eyes as relief filled her face. "You made it."

"Yea, well… Rachel thought I could use a night off," she said. "And it's about time I started learning how to have fun in London…"

"We're just over here," he said, motioning for her to follow. She walked at his side and looked over at the rest of the team seated around a table. There was some pushing and shuffling as they made room and pulled up another stool for her.

"Good to see you, Roz," Adrian said, grinning at her.

"Good to see you too," she replied, sliding onto the stool and silently cursing herself for wearing the short, light blue summer dress. She could feel it rise up at bit as she sat, though it was better than the tight mini skirt her aunt had wanted her to wear. After she had left, Roz quickly nixed the number and the heels, opting for a pair of white Keds and the airy, thin-strapped dress that was infinitely more comfortable. Plus, she liked the way it looked against her tan. "So this is what you guys get up to when you're not on the pitch."

"A lot more than this," Colin replied, grinning at her from across the table. Wilda just rolled her eyes.

"All I'll say is it's nice to not be the only woman for once," she said, offering Roz a friendly smile. "Saw you were pretty good on a broom. Why didn't you mention you played?"

"Ah, it was in school. Didn't think it important," Roz said as she looked around for a server.

"Must have had a top-notch coach," Rory said enthusiastically. "For you to still remember the skills and all. Looked like you were born with a broom in your hand."

"He was fairly good. Though a bit too hard," Roz said before leaning over and ordering a drink from the server. She then turned and looked around the group, who all seemed on the cusp of saying something. Laughing softly, she shook her head slightly. "Alright. Out with it. I'm sure there are a ton more questions coming."

"How long did you play?" Rory burst out, beating everyone.

"Started in little league and then played for Thunderbird at Ilvermorny," she said quickly.

"What position?" Colin asked.

"Chaser," she said. Adrian and Wilda both grinned at that.

"When did you graduate, by chance?" Perry asked, hoping he was slyly getting her age.

"Five years ago," Roz said.

"You're the same age as Wood and Pucey," Perry replied, seeming a bit sad she wasn't the same age as him. Roz laughed again as she glanced at first Adrian and then Oliver on her other side.

"Why PR?" Colin asked. "Why didn't you go pro? You got a fucking Firebolt."

"I love quidditch, but I didn't think I was good enough to go pro. But luckily for me, my aunt had long been working in PR for the US League and she offered me an apprenticeship," she said. She was glossing over a few things. Okay, a lot of things. But she didn't want to spoil a fun night with the more sordid details of her life. Besides, it wasn't any of their business anyway and so far, no one seemed to have guessed who her father was. She was going to play this off as long as she could. "Figured it was a good way to stay close to the sport I love."

"Your aunt?" Mark asked. Roz froze in the middle of taking a drink from the pint that had appeared in front of her. She had been so focused on avoiding how she came to be in possession of a Firebolt and her quidditch history that she didn't realize she had blurted out that Rachel was her aunt.

"Yes… Rachel is my aunt," she said, feeling her cheeks turn pink as she put the glass down. "My dad's sister." She hadn't meant to share that, though she supposed there was no harm. Rachel had changed her name years ago, saying that Meadows was much more interesting than Ayers. Roz just assumed it was because she too wanted to break out of her father's shadow.

"Well, now some things make sense," Adrian said. "So tell me more about your career as a chaser…"

The tension that had slipped in with the mention of her aunt suddenly dissipated as Roz started talking about playing for her house team and then telling stories about Ilvermorny. Oliver just sat and listened, laughing here and there. While she skirted over details still, Roz seemed much more relaxed and open with them than she had so far. He supposed she had just been adjusting to the move.

Soon enough, they were all chatting as though they were old friends.

"Now if you want to hear good stories from school, you have to hear about Wood here," Adrian said sometime later, now working on his third pint. Roz looked over at the quiet keeper, her eyebrows raised.

"Really? This sounds interesting," she said, a smile playing on her lips. Oliver just rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes. Had the biggest rivalry in our school's history with my house captain - Marcus Flint," Adrian said. "Wouldn't talk to me for a good three months after we both started on reserves."

"It wasn't that long," Oliver scoffed. "Maybe a month…"

"Yea, and even then you still wouldn't let me see your precious playbook even though we were on the same damn team," Adrian gripped. "I didn't even like Flint."

"Doesn't help that he's on the Falcons," Wilda added. "Though that's no surprise." Roz looked over at her.

"Wait, so Wood's school rival also plays in the pros?" she asked, an idea already forming in her head. Wilda nodded.

"Chaser," she replied, already sensing what Roz was thinking.

"Oh no, you are not using that for promotion," Wood said immediately. "That ended five years ago."

"Not from what I saw in the matchups last year," Wilda said with a chuckle. "He still hates you just as much as you hate him."

"I don't hate him," Wood exclaimed. "Just… seriously dislike." Roz laughed loudly.

"Oh, this is gold," she said, grinning at him. Wood tried to frown at her but found he couldn't. It was hard to stay any sort of upset with her when she was smiling like that. "I can work with this…"

"Yea, well, if you think that's something. You should see what happens when we play The Harpies. They were not too happy when Puddlemere stole Wilda from them," he said, hoping to change the subject.

"We're revisiting this later," Roz said before turning her attention to Wilda.

Throughout the rest of the evening, Oliver could feel Roz stealing glances at him, though she still followed the rest of the conversation. The whole time flew by all too quickly and suddenly, he was looking down at his watch, realizing it was nearly 2 a.m.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think I've had enough," Roz said, starting to stand from her stool.

"But the night is just beginning!" Perry whined.

"Maybe for you," Roz replied, reaching into her purse. "I've got plans tomorrow." Oliver's interest piqued at that. Was she meeting the coach?

"We've got this," Adrian said, stopping her. "And you've got a point. We may have tomorrow off, but I've still loads to do." The rest of the players stood and paid their tabs, the whole group then congregating outside the pub before heading off in different directions. The younger ones were heading to a club, while Wilda and Adrian were off for home.

"Well, I'm headed to the Leaky Cauldron. Gotta floo from there to home," Roz said, waving at them.

"You don't live around here?" Colin asked. "You in Puddlemere?"

"No. I've got a place in a muggle neighborhood nearby," Roz said. "Bit quieter."

"I'll, ehm, walk you there," Oliver said. "It's on my way and these streets can get a bit tricky to navigate at night." Roz smiled at him and nodded.

"Thanks. Lead away," she said before waving to everyone else.

The two walked in silence a bit, Oliver mentally arguing with himself over what to say now that they were alone.

"Tonight was fun," she finally said, glancing at him. "Learned a lot."

"Glad you enjoyed yourself," Oliver replied. "Though really… there's nothing going on with Flint." Roz laughed.

"Sure, there's not. But it could be useful," she said.

"How so?" he asked.

"Aunt Rachel is seriously considering making you the Puddlemere face," Roz replied, obviously a bit tipsy. Oliver stopped and looked over at her.

"Why me?" he asked. Roz stopped and looked up at him, confused as to why he looked slightly terrified. Though just as quickly as the look of fear appeared, his face was neutral.

"Because… you're obviously the anchor of this team. Everyone looks up to you. Respects you. Defers to you with just about everything. And you're good. Like… really good. Like could break records good," she said. "Trust me, I know aaaall about that." She suddenly stopped herself, seeming as though she had about to say something she shouldn't.

"I don't want it," Oliver said bluntly. "I mean… Wilda's the captain. Makes more sense to use her, don't you think?" Roz looked up at him.

"Maybe… I mean… nothing is set yet…" she said.

"I don't like doing interviews or talking to the press. And really, there's no point. Others on the team are better at it. And they all deserve the praise - not just me," he said. Roz nodded slowly.

"Noted," she said, smiling slightly as she started walking again. Oliver followed and glance down at her.

"So… you and coach have known each other since you worked on the Finches? That who you meetin' tomorrow?" he asked. He was hoping to test and see just how much he could get out of her after the slip-up about her aunt. This was the most she had talked in the entire time they had known each other. Roz laughed

"No, I'm not meeting him. But yea... I'm really close with him and his partner Charlie. I'd go over to their place for dinner a lot," she said. "Really can't wait until Charlie gets here… Joshie's decent in the kitchen, but Charlie's food is to die for." Oliver frowned as he stopped.

"Partner?" he asked.

"Yea, Charlie. They've been together since school. He's moving over in a month… didn't Joshie tell you?" she said, her eyes started to widen. Shit. He hadn't told them yet.

"He hasn't, ehm, mentioned anything to us," he said. Roz groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"Shit… me and my big mouth. Knew I shouldn't have had that second shot with Adrian. I seriously thought he had told you guys. You cannot let on that you know or tell anyone. I'm sure he has some reason for not telling you yet… though everyone else on staff knows," she said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"So… Coach Allen is gay?" Oliver asked, starting to feel slightly happier about the news. They weren't dating. Course, that didn't necessarily mean that Roz was single.

"I'm serious, Oliver. Please don't say anything! Not that he would get mad. Joshie was always pretty level-headed and doesn't really care that much who knows. And seriously, you guys are super oblivious if you didn't know. Are you even sure you pay attention at all to the US League?" she rambled. "I mean, you don't even-" She suddenly clamped her hands over her mouth. Fucking Cotton Mather, she had nearly told him who her dad was. She always turned into a chatterbox when she was tipsy. She was going to have to be careful if this was going to be a regular thing. Oliver just chuckled.

"It's fine, Roz. I'm not going to say anything. And if it helps, wouldn't matter none to any of us," he said. "Not the first gay man in quidditch over here." Roz looked up at him.

"Seriously?" she asked softly, dropping her hand from her mouth as she seemed to somewhat regain control of her mouth. Or rather the filter on her mouth.

"Though I'm sure the Wasps' coach'll be sad to find out he's taken," he replied.

"No way," she said. Oliver chuckled again as they started walking.

"Like I said, not the first," he replied. "Though, suppose I'm slightly relieved… we all thought you two were dating." Roz snorted.

"Even if he was straight, so not my type," she said. She then stopped and looked up at him. "Wait, relieved?" Oliver laughed again and ran his hand up the back of his neck.

"Yea… it's been the burning question on everyone's mind," he admitted. "You two seemed rather close and there's been a bit of curiosity about… your dating status." Roz looked away and started walking again.

"Oh," she said simply. Oliver remained silent, waiting on her to speak. She was obviously trying to decide on what to say. "Well, I'm single, but… Don't take it personally, but… I don't… I don't date quidditch players… I mean, because I work so closely with you all, and, yea… not my type. To be honest, I'm really kind of out on all guys at the moment." Oliver let out the breath he had been holding.

"No offense taken," he said lightly, mustering up a smile. Roz seemed relieved.

"Good," she said. "That said, I do hope to hang out with you guys more. I need to get out. Going crazy just going to work and home."

"Ah, well… having a good time is certainly something we can help with," he said. Roz smiled at him. She then came to a stop, looking over at the entrance to the pub and inn.

"This is me," she said, pointing at it with her thumb. "See you Monday."

"Yea, Monday," Oliver said with a wave. She then turned and walked over, pausing for a moment as she pushed the door open to smile at him before disappearing inside.

"Doesn't date quidditch players," he murmured to himself. "Suppose there's a story there…"


	5. Earned Media

**Earned Media**

Roz rushed through Diagon Alley, cursing herself for not giving herself enough time to get to wherever she was meeting Maggie's cousin. She was still turned around by the place, even though she had looked over a map and the instructions the cousin - Angelina Johnson - had sent by owl earlier in the week about 20 times before heading out. She was running late.

"Fucking maze," she muttered to herself, dodging out of the way of another witch with an armful of parcels. She was just grateful that now she wasn't under her aunt's watchful eye, she could at least wear a comfortable pair of flats with her denim sleeveless shirt and black skirt, her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. How she lived for comfortable clothing on the weekends. Her work clothes were much too stuffy.

She stopped on a corner, looking down at the parchment in her hand and then up and around the busy street, pulling her purse higher on her shoulder.

"Roz?" a voice called out. Roz whipped her head over, seeing a smiling woman walking up to her.

"Angelina?" she asked. The woman nodded.

"I'll admit, wasn't hard to pick you out," she said, putting her hand out. Roz shook it as she smiled in return.

"Let me guess, the clueless American look?" she offered.

"More like, tall, gorgeous, and looks as though she should be playing quidditch," Angelina replied.

"Ah, yes. That sounds like Mags," Roz said, chuckling. "Take it she told you how we became best friends?"

"Taking names and kicking ass on the quidditch pitch? Of course. Runs in the family," Angelina replied. "Though I work in the League main offices now rather than play."

"Not all of us can be pros, unfortunately," Roz said with a sigh.

"Well, follow me. Think it's about time someone gave you a proper introduction to Diagon Alley," Angelina said, motioning for Roz to follow. "And I think we're going to get along rather well…"

* * *

Roz felt like she hadn't laughed this long and hard in ages.

After a few hours of going around the various shops with Angelina, who proved a more than capable guide, they were now seated outside an ice cream parlour as Angelina peppered her with various questions about growing up in America. It was easy to talk to her and Roz found that she had missed having a girlfriend nearby. While Maggie would always be her best friend, there was something about having someone at the ready for retail therapy or just a drink after work.

"Why'd you choose muggle London?" Angelina asked before taking a bite of ice cream.

"Well, my mom's family is no-maj, so grew up a bit in both worlds. We lived in a mostly no-maj suburb so I'm used to blending in with it. Not to mention the technology," Roz said lightly. "And it's nice to have a place away from the middle of everything where I can just… breathe. Relax."

"But aren't they stricter about the whole interacting with muggle thing over there?" Angelina asked.

"They got rid of the law about marrying them a few decades ago," Roz said, waving her hand. "I mean, some of the old folks still don't like or understand it, but most younger people are on board with it. And really… it's impossible to completely separate ourselves from the no-majs. The Native tribes and communities have been practicing integration for generations. If they can get it, I don't understand why it's so hard for the rest of us."

"I see you there. We're a lot smaller over here, but still, most of my friends tend to stick to the wizarding areas for the most part. There's a vast majority of the UK that's muggle," Angelina said. "Shouldn't just ignore it."

"I'll have to have you over soon. I've finally got everything set up and am dying to do a dinner party or something," Roz replied.

"I'd love it. I'll bring my boyfriend. He's pureblood and always gets a kick out of muggle stuff," Angelina said. Roz chuckled.

"I may live in a muggle neighborhood, but my place is still the home of a witch," she said. The two women laughed, though Angelina was studying her closely, trying to figure out why the young American wasn't playing quidditch. From the looks of her, she had the perfect build for a chaser and still seemed to be in shape. She had watched her catch a bottle that someone else accidentally knocked off a shelf in a shop with easy dexterity, which told her that the skills were also there. And yet, she was working in PR.

"Why didn't you continue to play?" Angelina asked suddenly. Roz looked down at her ice cream, figuring this question would come up eventually. She wasn't sure how much Maggie had told her about her life.

"Just didn't work out," she said. "I tried - got signed to a team right after I graduated - but couldn't handle the pressure. I love the game and I loved playing, but suppose pro wasn't in the cards for me."

"I can understand that," Angelina said, though she sensed a bit of sadness in Roz over the issue. "I wanted to keep playing as well. Tried to get on a team after school but didn't have much luck. I realized how crazy talented everyone was. So went to work in the League head office instead." Roz looked over at her, quiet for a few moments.

"Do you ever miss it?" she found herself asking. "Playing?"

"Yea. But I still get together with my friends and do pick-up matches at the weekend," Angelina said. "That's good enough for me." Roz nodded slowly, thinking back to going up in the air at the photoshoot. Even though she was just hovering and handing cameras to the photographer, it had still been fun. She found she missed it as well. "You should come out with us sometime."

"I'd like that," Roz said, smiling. "And I should put my Firebolt to good use. It's been gathering dust in my apartment." Angelina's eyes bulged slightly.

"You've got a Firebolt?" she asked, in awe. Roz felt her cheeks heat up a bit.

"Yea… my dad likes to gift me with expensive brooms," she said. "He's a coach in the US League." Angelina's eyes widened even more.

"Blimey… Ayers. Your dad is Gregory Ayers, coach for the Finches. Maggie mentioned your dad was a coach, but I don't know why I didn't put it together until now," she said, starting to smile. "I see why he likes to give you expensive brooms."

"I don't really broadcast it," Roz said, slightly in awe about how comfortable she felt sharing it with Angelina. Maybe she was in need of a girlfriend more than she thought. "The press followed me around a lot in the States, so I was hoping to catch a break from that over here."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Angelina said, smiling at her. "Though I'm incredibly surprised no one at Puddlemere has put it together. That lot is the biggest bunch of quidditch fanatics I've ever met."

"Thanks, and I suppose they're just focused on playing. As they should be," Roz replied. Angelina took one last bite of her ice cream and then put her spoon in the bowl, starting to grin as she looked over at Roz.

"How do you feel about joke shops?" she asked.

"Don't really feel any way about them. Why?" Roz asked, confused by the question.

"Well, my boyfriend owns the best one in the Alley and I think you could use a bit of a laugh," she replied, starting to stand. "Come on!"

* * *

Roz felt like her eyes couldn't go any wider. She had to stop a few moments as she stepped into the store and took in the sheer chaos of it. The shelves were packed to the brim with just about anything magical you could think of and it was nearly impossible to walk through with the amount of customers milling about, trying out products or taking in the loud, colorful displays.

"Your boyfriend owns this place?" she asked, looking over at Angelina. The woman nodded as she looked around in pride.

"He opened it with his brother before the war. They developed everything themselves," she said.

"So he runs it with his brother…"

"Ehm, well… Fred, his twin, died during the war. Took George awhile to even come back here afterwards. But then he realized that he needed something to focus on. Just opened the doors again a few months ago," Angelina said, her voice going softer. "We were all friends at school - played on the house quidditch team. Fred and George were beaters."

"God, I'm so sorry," Roz said, her brow furrowed. She couldn't imagine being so young and having to go through something like that. Her thoughts turned to Oliver then, remembering her aunt saying something about him being considered a war hero.

"We've managed to start moving on. Rebuilding and such. Things are better now," Angelina said, offering her a smile. "Follow me. I don't seen George out and about, so he must be in his office or the workshop."

Roz took a deep breath as she started following Angelina through the crowded store. She waved at a witch running the cash register and continued back, the crowd thinning out as they reached the back of the store. She then took a right and started up a set of stairs.

As they cleared the second floor, Roz could hear voices coming from somewhere.

"He's got the office and workshop here and then there's a flat above it," Angelina said, looking over at Roz before turning a door handle and pushing it open. "Up for company?"

"Your company? Always, my love," a voice said grandly. Roz giggled slightly as Angelina rolled her eyes and stepped into a room.

"Ah, Wood, didn't know you were stopping by," she said. Roz froze in the doorway, not expecting to see Oliver. Memories of their slightly drunk conversation from the night before flinted through her mind and she blushed in embarrassment.

"Who's this?"

Roz looked over, seeing a tall, redheaded man hop up from a chair and start towards her, an easy grin on his face. He was in a garishly colored suit, though Roz wasn't surprised. Went with the territory of running a joke shop.

"This is Roz Ayers. Just moved here from the US. You remember Maggie, right?" Angelina said.

"Your cousin? Of course," George replied, looking over at his girlfriend.

"Roz and Maggie grew up together," Angelina said. "Mags thought we might hit it off and turns out she was right."

Roz stepped over and held her hand out, suddenly remembering her manners.

"Nice to meet you. George, isn't it?" she said. He shook her hand enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you as well. This is one of my close friends, Oliver Wood, star keeper for Puddlemere United," he said, motioning towards Oliver, who seemed to have frozen as well.

"Yea, we know each other," Roz managed to say, though she couldn't help but fidget as she remembered what Angelina said about the team being a group of quidditch fanatics. There was a reason she hadn't mentioned her last name around them yet and she was just waiting for him to realize who she was. "I do PR for Puddlemere." George looked back and forth between the two, still grinning.

"Well, how about that," he replied, obviously picking up on something. "Take it you must have played too."

"Yea. In school," Roz said.

"Well, come in, come in. Take a seat. I'll conjure up some more tea," George said, motioning for Roz to take an open chair next to Oliver. She walked over and sat down, putting her shopping bags on the floor.

"Good to see you, Oliver," she said, hoping that she wasn't blushing.

"You too, Roz. Angelina show you around?" he said, finally finding his voice. Roz nodded.

"Think I'm finally getting the hang of Diagon Alley," she said.

"Though took a while. Kept getting turned around," Angelina said, smiling at the two. Roz felt her blush deepen, wondering if she could read minds or something with the look she was giving the two. Blasted Cotton Mather, she didn't want anyone knowing about the conversation from the night before.

George and Angelina kept up a lively conversation as George set about to getting the tea ready, with Roz commenting here and there. Oliver kept glancing over at Roz, noticing that she was fidgeting slightly in her chair and glancing at him. He thought over the conversation from the night before and he couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to make her swear off men for a while, quidditch players for good.

What he would give for a good, strong firewhiskey at the moment to take the edge off the situation.

"So, is Wood every bit the taskmaster that he was in school?" George asked, grabbing Oliver's attention. He looked over at the ginger man as he sent teacups floating over to the group.

"How do you mean?" Roz asked, plucking hers from the air.

"He was a tyrant as captain," George said. "Thought he was bloody going to kill us several times." Roz's eyes widened as she looked over at Oliver and then back at George.

"You all were in the same house?" she asked, not putting it all together until then. George and Angelina laughed.

"Gryffindor," Angelina replied. "I was captain my seventh year. Gained a whole new appreciation for Wood then. Being in charge was no easy task." She glanced at George. "Especially when folks continued to cut up."

"It's in my nature. And I remember you enjoying it more than once," George replied, smiling at her.

"Yea, but not when I was the captain and trying to keep you lot in check," she quipped in return.

"How long have you two been together?" Roz asked, hoping to keep the conversation away from herself.

"About a year, is it?" George asked, looking over at her. "Though some days it feels like forever." Angelina snorted.

"You wish," she replied before taking a sip of her tea. Roz couldn't help but smile at the two, finding their banter entertaining. They really were the perfect couple. After a bit, she started to relax a bit more as the conversation continued and she found herself laughing constantly.

From next to her, Oliver relaxed as well. So this wasn't going to be a disaster. He had stopped by the shop hoping to talk to George about recent events - namely the fact he had developed a crush on the pretty PR assistant, but she had apparently sworn off men, especially quidditch players. Glancing at her, he was glad that he hadn't gotten around to it, sure that George would have taken her surprise appearance as a chance to tease either or both relentlessly.

"Hey boss, you want me to start closing up?" a woman said, popping her head in the office.

"Blimey, is it that time already?" George asked, standing to his feet. "Lost track."

"It is," the witch replied.

"Get started and I'll down in a minute," he said, putting his cup down. He then looked over at the group. "How do you lot think about getting some dinner and drinks?"

Roz sputtered on her tea, not expecting the invitation. She was finally feeling less awkward and wasn't sure if she could get through a few more hours around the handsome quidditch player.

"Sounds good," Oliver said, looking over at Roz. "You up for it, Roz?"

"Um… sure," she said, offering a weak smile.

"Perfect! Just wait here. Shouldn't take me long," he said, turning towards the door. "Decide on where we're going while I gone!" He then bounded out. Roz turned to look at Angelina and Oliver.

"Suppose that's you guys… still don't know anywhere," she said, standing to walk her cup over to a sink.

"Don't worry. I know just the place…"

* * *

Roz looked around the restaurant, guessing that it must be new. It stood out from the surrounding shops and seemed to give off that brand-new feel to it. It was a bit noisy, but not so much that she couldn't hear the others around her. The latest Weird Sisters single was playing and all around, folks seemed to be talking and laughing. There was a dance floor as well though not many were on it.

"This is some place," Roz said, looking over at the others as they sat.

"Been meaning to try it out for months, but never got the chance," George replied, looking over his menu.

"Witch Weekly gave it a great review," Angelina added. Roz glanced nervously at Oliver before perusing the selection. She settled on an entree and glass of elf wine before putting it down and waiting patiently on the server. They all quickly ordered and soon enough, their drinks were at the table and Roz was taking a generous gulp of her wine.

"How it's working for Puddlemere?" George asked, looking over at her.

"Good. The team's great and so is the staff," she said, putting her glass down. "Makes my job easy."

"So you just come up with ways to promote the team?" George asked.

"Basically, though there's a bit more than that. We also deal with the press, come up with events, write press releases and all that," Roz replied.

"She and her aunt came up with the idea for the renovations on the stadium and got us new uniforms," Oliver added. Roz glanced over at him and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Been hard at work."

"Is that so?" George asked, sharing a look with Angelina.

"Like I said, they've got a great team. Makes it easy," Roz replied, wanting to payback the compliment. "So… tell me more about Hogwarts…"

About an hour later, they had finished up their dinner and were on another round of drinks. Roz smiled as she let the alcohol flow through her, though not too much. Definitely did not want a repeat of the night before. But she was eager to learn more about Oliver. She told herself it was because of her work, but she knew ultimately it was more than that.

"Holy cow, you weren't lying when you said you were obsessed," she said, laughing as she looked over at Oliver.

"I never said I was obsessed. I said that my friends called me obsessed," he retorted, though his eyes were twinkling.

"Yea, and I completely see why," Roz said. Angelina and George grinned at each other, thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was obvious the two were attracted to each other but didn't want to admit it out loud. This was going to be fun.

"Oliver? Is that you?" a voice said. The group looked over, seeing Meredith standing there. She grinned at the quidditch player, but not before coolly studying Roz at his side. "What a coincident. And Roz is here too."

"Good to see you, Meredith," Oliver said, fidgeting in his chair slightly. "What brings you out?"

"Just getting some drinks with friends," she said lightly. "Perhaps we could join you guys… that is if you're okay with-"

"Sorry! Table's full!" George shouted brightly. "But it was nice to see you!" Meredith just stared at him as Angelina rolled her eyes and Roz choked on her wine. Oliver sighed heavily.

"Ah, right then. See you on Monday," she said, giving Oliver a little wave before walking off.

"You didn't have to be rude," Oliver said, frowning at George.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, Wood. Direct is the only way to handle her," George said casually.

"Handle her? Something going on there?" Roz asked, raising an eyebrow at Oliver. He cleared his throat.

"Ehm, well…"

"Got sodding drunk and snogged her at some after party when he was in reserves and she's been in love with him ever since," George said. Oliver's face started turning red.

"And you're not interested," Roz said.

"Just… I was drunk… and we had just won a game, and she was standing nearby, so I…" he fumbled with his words. Roz chuckled.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. We've all been there," Roz said.

"I've tried to be gentle with it, but she doesn't seem to get it," Oliver said, picking up his glass.

"Oliver never was that great with the ladies," Angelina said. "Even at school."

"What was the name of that girl you were in love with?" George asked. "Lila?"

"Laurel. And I wasn't in love with her," Oliver said quickly. Angelina snorted.

"For a term you talked about her almost as much as you did quidditch. And when he did finally muster the courage to ask her out, she had just gotten together with a bloke from Ravenclaw. He sulked for a good few weeks," she said. Roz looked over at him, slightly entertained by this side of Oliver. She remembered the night before, how nervous he had seemed.

She couldn't help but find it endearing.

"I've certainly learned since then," Oliver said, shooting a glare at the laughing Angelina and George.

"Oh yes, you have," George said, leaning forward. "You should take Roz out and show her just how much you've learned." Oliver spit out his drink at the same time that Roz choked on hers, both of their faces going a bit red.

"I don't know about that," Roz managed to squeak. "I mean… we work together…"

"Yea, wouldn't be professional," Oliver added, managing to find his voice. George and Angelina just shared another look.

"Right, wouldn't be professional at all," George sang, now grinning.

Roz reached for a glass of water, sure her face was a bright right.

Merlin, this was turning out to be some day...


	6. The Exclusive

**The Exclusive**

Oliver sighed as he handed George a beer and sat on the sofa next to Percy the next day. After things ended on an awkward note the night before, he wasn't surprised when George randomly showed up at the flat the next day, a grin firmly on his face.

"You like her," George said, still grinning.

"I do not!" Oliver retorted. "I mean, I get on with her well enough, but nothing more than that."

"I told him to just ask her out," Percy said with a sigh. Oliver shot a glare at him.

"Told him the same thing last night," George said.

"Yea, with Roz sitting next to me!" he shouted.

"That was a bit brazen of you. Though I'm not surprised," Percy replied, his face rather blasé about the situation.

"It was obvious the two of them felt some sort of way about each other. I was just saying what all of us were thinking," George said lightly. Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I already asked her out," he said. Both Weasleys stared at him in shock.

"What?!"

"I mean, well… I didn't ask her out directly, but I asked if she was dating the coach," he started.

"Why would you do that?" George asked, confused. What did the coach have to do with anything?

"Everyone on the team was wondering about them. Turns out they're just family friends. Anyway, I mentioned that I was… relieved by the news, but before I could ask her out properly, she said that she's not interested in dating at the moment, especially quidditch players," he said. "So, there's nothing to be done. She's just not interested." George rolled his eyes.

"Whatever she said, she was clearly into you," he said. "Angelina thinks so as well."

"Are you sure? You're not always the best at reading situations," Percy said, staring at his brother.

"Perce, I am perfectly fine at reading situations. I just enjoy having a bit of fun with it," he said. "And it was clearly written on their faces as well as in their body language." Percy looked over at Oliver.

"You're sure she's not attracted to you at all?" he asked. Oliver shrugged.

"Does it matter? She was fairly adamant about keeping professional boundaries," Oliver replied, appearing slightly glum. "Makes sense when you think about it…"

"No, I'll not let you talk yourself out of another relationship," George said, sitting up. Oliver looked over at him.

"But she doesn't want a relationship," he said. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"He does make a point," Percy said. "He can't very well force her to go on a date with him." George rolled his eyes and fell back in the chair.

"Just… don't give up, yea?" he said, looking over at his friend. "I'm not saying force her, but there is chemistry there. Maybe she just needs time." Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to do a thing," he said.

"Fine," George said.

* * *

Roz quickly moved through the crowded streets of the Alley. All day she had gone out of her way to avoid talking to Oliver after the weekend. It wasn't that hard, considering she already spent most of her time on the pitch just watching and taking notes, only really talking to Joshua. However, when practice had ended, the rest of the team came over to chat and she and Oliver were painfully awkward around each other, not making eye contact.

She had then quickly made her exit and owled Angelina from her office about meeting up for drinks later. She felt like she needed some womanly advice about this and she couldn't call Maggie.

She had told herself that she would never date another quidditch player, and here she was finding herself drawn to Oliver - a quidditch player. It was getting harder to ignore the signs, but she was determined not to make the same mistake twice. She had known Riley for years before they started dating in school. Had thought they were in love at one point. She trusted him with her heart, and he broke it. No, smashed it. And then some. Here she had known Oliver a matter of weeks. There was no way she could possibly trust him.

Not to mention, whether he wanted it or not, her aunt was determined to push him as the poster boy for Puddlemere United, which meant tons of press coverage. If she allowed herself to go out with him, that would only mean one thing - a return to the spotlight. Something she wasn't eager to do just yet. Not when she was finally getting a bit of anonymity.

"There you are," Angelina said brightly as Roz walked in and collapsed on a stool next to her. "You look a bit knackered."

"It's been a day," Roz said before ordering a glass of wine. Angelina was quiet a few moments.

"I think I know why you wanted to meet," Angelina said. Roz glanced at her before picking up the glass of wine that appeared in front of her and sipping. "You're attracted to Oliver, aren't you?" Roz froze, silently cursing Angelina for being so observant. And herself for making it obvious. "Ehm… so I chatted with Maggie earlier and she told me about your horrid ex."

Roz closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening them and putting her glass down.

"Figured," she said. "Though I'm kind of glad that I don't have to rehash everything from the start."

"I get why you're nervous," Angelina said softly. "But it's also okay give it a try, you know. I assure you, Oliver's not like that. He is really kind and gentle. He won't be like Riley…"

Roz dropped her head into her hands, the last words Riley spoke to her flying through her mind. She knew that Oliver was nothing like Riley. But it didn't stop her from worrying about what could go wrong. Or what would come up in the press.

"I just… I can't go there. Not yet," Roz said, finally looking over at Angelina as she dropped her hands in front of her on the bar. "I'm scared and… I don't think I'm completely over it yet."

Angelina reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it.

"It's hard to let go of things, I get that," she said. "And you are allowed to take as much time as you need to in order to fully heal. But…" Roz frowned slightly, wondering what she was going to say next. "At the very least, you should talk to Oliver about it. He'll understand."

"Tell him about Riley?" Roz asked, the color draining from her face.

"He won't get scared off or anything," Angelina said. "And it's obvious that he's got feelings for you."

"I think he was going to ask me out Friday night," Roz said. Angelina's eyes widened.

"He what?!"

"I told him I didn't date quidditch players before he got the chance," Roz added quickly. "Really, anyone at the moment." Angelina sighed.

"Well, you two are going to have to figure out how to be around each other," Angelina said. "Because I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends and he's best friends with my boyfriend AND he lives with George's brother."

"What?" Roz asked. Angelina chuckled.

"Percy and Oliver were best friends and roommates in Hogwarts," she said. Roz nodded her head slowly. She thought for a moment and then sighed.

"I suppose I could explain why at the very least, though I'm not sure that I want to get into too many of the details..." she said, reaching for her glass. Angelina smiled.

"I promise you, it'll be fine," she said, patting her arm. Her face then lit up. "Why don't you come over tonight? George is working late at the shop and we can get some takeout and just… have some girl talk." Roz raised her eyebrows.

"I thought that's what we were doing now?" she asked. Angelina chuckled.

"Trust me. My place is much more comfortable and we can really get into without worrying about anyone overhearing. Drink up," she said. Roz sighed and smiled.

"Suppose you have a point," she said. She quickly finished her wine and replaced the glass on the bar. "Let's go."

* * *

"What's it like living over a joke shop?" Roz asked as they made their way towards the shop.

"Not bad, actually. So long as George leaves his experiments in his workshop," Angelina replied, grinning at her as she led Roz to a back entrance that went up to the third floor. Roz stopped suddenly after they had stepped in, hearing voices. It was bright and airy and relatively neat, something that Roz contributed to Angelina. George didn't seem to be the sort that cared about interior design or taking care of a mess.

"I thought you said George was working late," Roz said, looking over at her. Angelina seemed just as confused.

"That's what he said earlier when I told him I was meeting you for drinks after work," she said as they walked into a large open area that seemed to be part living room, part dining room, with an open kitchen. Roz stopped as she looked over and saw an equally shocked Oliver perched on a stool at the island as George stood in the kitchen cooking.

"George," Angelina said, her voice full of warning. He just grinned brightly.

"Finished up early," he said, clearly ignoring her frown. "Invited Wood over since you were out." Roz couldn't help but roll her eyes as Angelina sighed and walked over to put her purse down.

"Seriously, do you always do this?" Roz asked, walking over and sitting next to Oliver. She was too perplexed by the situation to be embarrassed. It was clearly a set-up by one George Weasley and the poor quidditch player seemed to be none-the-wiser as well.

"Yes," Oliver replied, pouring a glass of firewhiskey and handing it to her.

"Do you ever get used to it?" she asked him before taking a drink.

"Eventually," he said.

"I haven't the foggiest idea as to what you're talking about," George said.

"Meddling," Oliver said, narrowing his eyes at George.

"I don't meddle," George said.

"Yes, you do," Roz and Oliver said at the same time, surprising each other.

"I had no idea Angelina was going to invite Roz over," George said, glancing at them, though the grin on his face told another story entirely.

"Why don't I believe you?" Roz said.

"Because you're smart," Oliver said. She looked over at him, finding herself smiling slightly. She had to admit that even with the previous awkwardness still hovering around them, she couldn't help but warm up to him. She did enjoy talking to him. Being around him. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to relax a bit around him...

But just as quickly, she stopped herself. There was a very good reason why she wasn't going to date him. And one way or another, it seemed she was going to have to tell him that night. Or at least enough that he'd understand.

"If this was a set-up, it's not a bad one, yea?" George said, with a heavy emphasis on the word "if". Both Oliver and Roz just stared at him.

"For the record, I had nothing to do with this," Angelina said, walking into the kitchen to help with the dinner preparations. Roz couldn't help but chuckle as she felt more of the tension leave. Angelina had part of it right - regardless of whatever happened with Oliver, she would need to learn how to be around him. The first step was to laugh at the ridiculousness of the current situation and just go with it.

"So he's got a habit of this?" she asked, looking over at Oliver.

"It was worse when you had him and Freddie working together," he replied. The mention of George's twin brought an immediate atmosphere shift as George stiffened and Oliver grimaced. "Sorry, I shouldn't-"

"It's fine, Oliver," Angelina said as she began rubbing George's back.

"Yea… I'm okay," George added, glancing over at him with a sad smile. "Shouldn't stop talking about him just 'cause he's gone. You know he'd come back from the grave just to complain about it." Oliver nodded, though looked down at his hands, appearing to retreat somewhere inside his head.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Roz asked quickly, feeling slightly at fault for starting that line of conversation and wanting to make up for it.

"Help me set the table?" Angelina asked, smiling at her.

"Of course…"

* * *

After the momentary awkwardness, dinner continued on and Oliver eventually brightened up a bit as he, George and Angelina told stories of some of the twins' more dramatic antics. Roz couldn't help but wish she had met Fred Weasley. She was already wishing that she could meet more of the group's friends that were still around. Though she couldn't help but notice Oliver bristle slightly whenever the name Alicia came up. She wondered if it was perhaps an old flame.

At the end of the night, she and Oliver found themselves leaving the flat at the same time, promising the couple to do another dinner party - this one planned - at either the shop or Roz's flat.

The two walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, neither speaking. Roz kept trying to think of a way to bring up what she had spoken to Angelina about. Oliver was trying hard not to blurt out that he was attracted to her. He shouldn't have had that last firewhiskey.

"So-"

"I should-"

Both stopped and stared at each other a few moments before smiling and laughing.

"I'm sorry, you first," Oliver said.

"No, it's fine. What were you going to say?" Roz replied. He swallowed and looked at the ground a bit before meeting her eyes.

"Why is it you won't date quidditch players?" he asked bluntly. Roz's eyes widened slightly, though she should have known this was coming. They had had a few drinks and she was certain the chemistry between them was palpable. Besides, hadn't she been planning to tell him anyway?

"It's just… it's nothing to do with you personally," she started, finding herself fumbling for the right words.

"Right… it's not me, it's you," Oliver said quickly, embarrassed. It wasn't the first time he had heard that line. He started to walk again, but Roz reached out and grabbed him.

"I'm serious," she said when he turned to face her. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, closing her eyes. "Suppose you should hear the whole story from the beginning… My dad is Gregory Ayers." Oliver stared at her a moment before realization hit him. That's why she had looked so familiar. Now that he knew the truth, it was boggling to him how he missed the resemblance in the first place. Or why he hadn't picked it up over the weekend when Angelina mentioned her last name was Ayers.

"Head coach for the Finches and all-time record holder for most goals saved in the US League," he said, the awe clear in his voice. She opened her eyes and nodded. "How many years did he play?" Roz rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Too many," she griped. "Anyway… so he's my dad and growing up, our family was always getting all this attention. When I was younger, I loved it. I played in Ilvermorny and everyone expected me to go into the League like Dad. And I wanted to for the longest time as well, but just… the pressure started building up… and when I graduated and accepted an offer to play first-string right off the bat… it was… it was too much."

"I thought you said you didn't go pro," Oliver said, wracking his brain for any recollection of a Roz Ayers in the US League. He usually stayed on top of things like that with his encyclopedic memory of all things quidditch.

"I played one match. Bombed so badly that I quit the next day," Roz said. "That's when my aunt offered me the apprenticeship."

"Surely it wasn't that bad," Oliver interrupted, not quite believing that anyone could play such a bad match that they would immediately quit. Roz just gave him a look and he quickly shut his mouth.

"I nearly had my head taken off by a bludger and it took a good year before I would get up on a broom again," she said.

"Oh…"

"But after a while, everyone stopped talking about me and I thought things were good. Then, true to form, they exploded in spectacular fashion yet again," she said. "I had been dating this guy since school. He was also a quidditch player. But he actually went on to have a good career. Better than good, actually. He's the Finches current star player-"

"Riley Andrews," Oliver said immediately. Roz nodded.

"He never was that supportive of me playing quiddich - in fact he would get super competitive about it. We both played for Thunderbird. Suppose that should have been my first warning, but… I was in love - or so I thought. So, I overlooked it," she said, now looking at the ground. Oliver got a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew where this story was going.

"And then some trash magazine published a story about him making out with another popular quidditch player at a party - a party that we had actually attended together, by the way," she said. "At first, he tried to play it off like it wasn't true, but then the rest of the press picked up it... and there were photographs…"

"Merlin, that must have been horrible. Finding out like that," Oliver said, wanting to reach out to her or do something. Roz glanced up at him as she wrapped her arms around herself and smiled wryly.

"Oh, it got worse," she said. "Became the story of that season… the press followed me around for months, asking why I was still with him, and then we finally had a major blowout…" She went silent as various memories flew around her mind. Taking a deep breath, she pushed them aside. Oliver didn't need to know the details. Not yet anyway. She wasn't sure if she'd ever tell him, to be honest. "Point is, it feels like my whole life has been on public display. Either because of my father, or me playing quidditch, or my love life… it got to be too much. I came here hoping to get away from it and finally have a fresh start and a chance to just be me. Roz." She finally met his gaze full on.

Oliver stared at her a moment as everything sank in. He understood, finally, why she had been so standoffish in the beginning and hesitated to get too close to the team or let anyone know too much about her. Why even now when it was so obvious that they were attracted tp each other, she was too afraid to go down that road. He understood more than she possibly knew.

"I get it," he finally said. "Suppose it's only natural that you'd want to stay away from anything that could possibly get the press' attention." He glanced down at his feet, wondering if he could tell her his own secrets. But she had been honest with him. It was only fair that he return the favor. "There's a reason I'm so reluctant to do interviews and such. Why I didn't do them last year…" Roz furrowed her brow. "I'm no war hero. Never much liked the title. I was there, yea. I fought. But… I stood and watched as my friend died and I couldn't do a damn thing to save her." Roz's eyes widened at the admission, watching as he frowned and several emotions flew across his face, the last being relief.

Oliver felt some of the pressure he had carried with him since the end of the war begin to alleviate. Perhaps Percy was right that he needed to talk about it.

"It was chaos… I'm sure no one blames you-"

"I blame me," Oliver said, cutting her off. "She was on my quidditch team at school. And when we all showed up that night, they… they put their trust in me. Let me come up with a plan. And… we lost her. We lost two on the old team that day, though I wasn't there when Freddie died… Merlin… I couldn't even look her parents in the eye and all they wanted to do was to thank me for being there…" He stopped speaking as he looked away.

"That's who Alicia is, isn't it?" Roz asked softly. He nodded.

"I'm supposed to be this, strong protector. Strong quidditch player and all. You and your aunt, you've made me out to be some sort of anchor, unofficial leader of the team. Someone that others should look up to," he looked back at her. "I'm not." Roz took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"I think you are," she said. Oliver just stared at her. "I think… you're a man who was in a war. Who tried to do everything that he could. And things still went wrong. But you did the best you could-"

"You weren't even there," he shot back.

"Let me finish," Roz interjected. "You are kind, thoughtful. You obviously care deeply about your friends and teammates, often putting them before yourself. And from what I've heard from the others, that's something that's always been there." Oliver didn't respond, so Roz stepped over and took both of his hands, squeezing them. "What would Alicia tell you if she saw you now?" Oliver looked down at her, puzzled. No one had asked him that before. He thought for a moment, seeing Alicia in his mind.

"_Get over it, ya oaf. I knew what I was getting into_," he could almost hear her say, the familiar smirk on her face. "_And for Merlin's sake, get a damn girlfriend, already!_" He laughed softly.

"She'd probably tell me to get over myself… that she knew what she was getting into," he replied. Roz smiled softly.

"See?" she said. "It's okay." He nodded.

"Same for you, you know. You shouldn't let what happened follow you around forever," he replied.

"Here I thought I was giving you advice," Roz said, stepping back and pulling her hands from his. He held fast onto one, not wanting to let go of her just yet.

"I think it's good advice for the both of us. A fresh start, like you said," he replied. "And… I understand why you're not ready for anything yet. That's fine. But… I would like to spend time with you. Get to know you better. Maybe just as friends?"

"I think… I think I could be okay with that," Roz said after thinking it over a bit.

"Right then," Oliver said. "Friends."

"Friends."

* * *

**Keeping up with just posting most of this in one go. Since it's all done and everything.**

**cjconner326 - Haha! I had a feeling you would like this one. It stays fairly light for the most part, but in true rom-com fashion (and well... my fashion) there will be some drama coming up. ^_^ Though I think after "The Education of Oliver Wood" I might have gotten it out of my system. Running out of Woods to write...**

**Thanks for reading and following!**


	7. Lead Time

**Lead Time**

A few weeks later, Roz walked back into her office whistling after watching the afternoon practice. The team was getting better. Much better. She was excited to see how they did in upcoming scrimmages and when the season opened. She was proud of the job Joshua had been doing with them. He had been incredibly nervous about taking his first head coach job, but from she had seen, he was a natural.

After coming clean to Oliver, the two had settled into an easy friendship even though it was tinged with hope for something more on both sides. She had taken to spending most of her free time with him, George, and Angelina, when she wasn't going out with the team. As the days passed, she was falling into a steady routine and she found she thought less and less of her life before.

She was starting to finally feel comfortable in her own skin again.

"Good practice?" Rachel asked, popping her head out of her office.

"Yep. The team's looking good," Roz replied with a smile. "Got some notes for you."

"Great. I've got some things to go over for you as well. Get in here," Rachel said, disappearing into her office. Roz gathered up her clipboard and walked into the office, coming to a sudden stop as her eyes widened.

All around were banners featuring Oliver in various poses, his face stern and serious. On the board were mockups magazine and newspaper spreads, all featuring Oliver and introducing the "new" Puddlemere United.

Everywhere she looked, Oliver was gazing at her. Or rather, "smoldering" as the photographer put it, in various sizes and poses.

"What's this?" she asked, temporarily overwhelmed by it.

"Our new campaign. Oliver Wood," Rachel said triumphantly. Roz gaped at her slightly, though she wasn't sure why she was surprised. Her aunt had been hinting at it for some time now, though Roz had been trying to push her towards Wilda or Adrian, knowing that Oliver was uncomfortable with the idea.

"You know he doesn't like the attention," Roz replied.

"Yes, I know. But he needs to get over that. And I need you to convince him," Rachel said. Roz finally met her aunt's gaze.

"Me?" she asked.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you getting close to him," she said, wagging her finger at her niece as though she were a silly schoolgirl. "If anyone can talk him into it, it's going to be you."

"I'm not so sure, Aunt Rachel. I mean… he's got some pretty good reasons for not wanting-"

"Posh. He's perfect. Weathers and the others are already on board. You need to get him with the program," Rachel said, walking back over to her desk.

"I really don't-"

"Roz! This is important! And it's your job," Rachel said, cutting her off as she looked over at her. Roz just blinked at her a few moments. "Take him out for drinks or something and then convince him to do this. Whatever it takes. We're going with it regardless, but it would work better if he's willing."

Roz finally nodded.

"Okay," she said, her voice small. She then turned and walked back into her office, sitting at her desk as she stared at the various photos and there. There was one of her and Mags. Another of her with her parents. A new one of her, Angelina, George, and Oliver that they had taken at the party after Puddlemere won their first scrimmage against the Wasps.

She knew Oliver's story and how he felt about talking to the press. They hadn't spoken about it too much since that night after they left George and Angelina's. While he had said that perhaps it was time to move forward, things like this took time. Was it the right decision? Or should she tell her aunt the full truth and try to convince her to choose someone else or pick a strategy that focused on the full team rather than mostly Oliver?

"JUST DO IT, ROZ!" her aunt yelled, causing her to flinch. Sighing, she sat looked at the photo again.

"Fine…" she muttered to herself before standing and striding out of the office. She spent the entire journey down to the locker rooms mentally steeling herself. She didn't have to do it right then, but perhaps if she got him on her own turf, she wouldn't be so nervous about it. Yes. She would make him dinner at her place and tell him then. Outside of feeling more comfortable, it would be private. This was definitely a conversation she didn't want to do in a public setting.

She leaned against the wall outside the locker room door, hearing the others goofing around inside.

"Just… ask him over for dinner… yea… dinner and then tell him over drinks," she said softly to herself.

"Talkin' to yourself again?" Oliver asked good-naturedly as he walked out of the room. Roz jumped up, quickly looking over to see others moving towards the door behind him.

"Dinner. Tonight. My place," she nearly shouted in her anxiety and rush to get it out. Oliver's eyebrows shot up in surprise as an amused smile came over his face. He couldn't help the jolt of electricity that shot through him. Roz had yet to have him over alone. Surely this meant something.

"Any special occasion?" he asked.

"No… just thought you might… want to… see my place. Finally," she said quickly, pasting a smile on her face. She held her hand out, offering him a piece of paper with her address written down. "About 7 okay?"

"Sure," Oliver said, taking it the parchment and looking down at it as he remembered her saying that she lived in a muggle neighborhood.

"Good, see you then," she said, abruptly turning and striding off quickly. She couldn't help but mutter to herself about being an idiot.

"What's that about?" Adrian asked, stepping out of the locker room and watching as Roz quickly walked down the hall.

"Dinner at Roz's," Oliver said, still watching her as well.

"She finally going to confess her undying love for you?" Adrian joked. "About time. Your flirting makes me want to gag." Oliver looked over at him, wanting to roll his eyes but refraining. He was fairly certain that he and Roz did not flirt nearly as much as Adrian made it out to be.

"I told you that we decided to just be friends, but she did seem nervous about something," he said. "Maybe… maybe she's ready for something more…" Adrian grinned as he slapped Oliver on the back a few times.

"Well then… seems we need to get you ready for a date," he said, starting to lead Oliver off. "Let's go…"

* * *

Roz was walking in nervous circles around her apartment later, checking the table, the food, the wine and then doing the same thing over again. All the while casting nervous glances towards the clock. She felt like Oliver was likely to be early or on time. That's just how he was.

"Pull yourself together. This isn't anything big," she said, reassuring herself that she was just overreacting. Surely Oliver would take the news well. At least he wouldn't yell at her or anything. She hoped. Or maybe he _would_ refuse. "Fucking Cotton Mather, he's your friend and you're about to try and talk him into doing the one thing he said he wasn't ready for. This is a horrible idea."

A noise from the fireplace stopped her nervous trek as she froze and looked over. After a flash of green fire, Oliver stepped out, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers and a bottle of wine.

"Hope I'm not too early," he said, grinning. He was in different clothes and looked a bit smarter - his hair was styled rather than its usual windblown mess. While Roz appreciated the effort, she had to admit she liked the way he looked coming straight off the pitch a bit better.

"_Stop it, Roz. Focus," _she told herself mentally.

"No, not at all," Roz said, quickly smiling as she walked over to him and took the flowers. "These are lovely, though you didn't have to go through the trouble." She quickly spun around, walking straight to the kitchen to find a vase and hopefully hide her face from him.

Oliver stepped over to the table, taking in the settings with raised eyebrows as he glanced over at what Roz was doing. He had noticed the flush in her cheeks before she turned and that she had changed into a short white summer dress. It looked lovely against her skin. She had also redone her makeup and fixed her hair. He couldn't help but smile to himself. Perhaps she was finally ready to move things forward.

He straightened up as Roz rushed out and put the vase of flowers at the center of the table, still not looking at him.

"I suppose we should… sit. It's ready," Roz said, glancing at him before rushing back into the kitchen. He walked over to sit but stopped, taking the chance while she was sending plates of food to the table to look around the place. It wasn't as big as his place or some of the other's he had seen. The League paid well and even the staff often had large, spacious flats - some through extension spells and such. But it was nicely decorated and seemed very much Roz with flowers and scented candles scattered about and large photos on the walls. Cozy. He glanced over to a wall that seemed to be covered in photos, unable to help himself as he stepped over to get a closer look. Most of them were of Roz and a woman that he assumed was her best friend and Angelina's cousin, Maggie.

There was one of a younger Roz. She was in a Finches jersey, being thrown up into the air by a group of large, burly players in Finches robes. Then another of her with an older couple that he immediately knew to be her parents. She really did favor her father, though she had her mother's eyes, hair and skin tone.

"See you found the photos," she said, getting his attention. Oliver looked over at her, then glanced at the photos one last time before making his way back to the table as Roz poured the wine. She seemed a bit more relaxed, though a nervous air lingered around her. He wondered if she had slipped a calming draught while in the kitchen. Or perhaps took a shot of something.

"Still wrapping my head around the fact that Gregory Ayers is your father and I didn't pick up on it," he said, sitting down.

"I'm honestly surprised no one did for as long as they did," Roz replied, sitting next to him. "But then again, I guess not everyone over here pays as close attention to the US League as we do to the British and Irish League."

"Most of the blokes and lasses know something or another about it," he said, reaching to start filling his plate as Roz took a large drink of her wine. "They sometimes try and recruit from over here though more likely that here would recruit from there since the US is so much bigger."

"Yea, but there aren't as many teams. Few of my classmates went to play in the South American and Asian Leagues when they didn't get offers in the US," Roz said, starting to put food on her plate.

"You ever consider it?" Oliver asked. Roz stopped for a moment and glanced at him before continuing her task.

"Not really. As Gregory Ayers' daughter, it was always going to be the US or Britain," she said. "Quidditch genes of gold and all." There was clear hint of sarcasm in her voice that made it obvious to Oliver that anywhere else would have been considered beneath the Ayers name to her father.

"It hasn't been that long… you ever consider giving it another go?" Oliver asked. Roz froze again and stared at him before bursting into a strained laugh.

"Cotton Mather, no. I'm pretty sure my pro days are far behind me," she said, shaking her head. "Even if I could get back in form, I'd have to go through tryouts and I'm not sure I could stand being labelled a has-been. I love quidditch, but not sure if I love it enough to try going pro again. Not after last time."

Oliver nodded as he started eating, shooting looks at Roz. He still hadn't been able to figure out just what happened in that fateful match, though he pushed it aside for another time. He wondered when she was going to bring up why she had invited him over. It was clearly written on her face that there was a reason behind it. She was far too strained for this to be just a friendly gathering.

"Think George and Angelina were hoping you'd want to go out again this weekend," Oliver said, settling on what he hoped was a safer topic.

"Yea, got an owl from Angie at work. Told her I was down for it. Think she said some of your other friends from school were coming out too," she said, suddenly rather focused on her food.

"You'll get to meet Katie and her boyfriend then. Surprised you haven't yet. Her and Angelina are practically joined at the hip," Oliver replied.

"Any chance you guys still hang out with Harry Potter?" Roz asked, smiling slightly at him. Oliver chuckled.

"Merlin, no. I mean, I spent a fair amount of time around him my fifth, sixth and seventh years as he was on the team. But we haven't much spoken since then. George still sees him often as Harry's best friends with his younger brother Ron and dating his younger sister Ginny," Oliver said.

"How many Weasleys are there?" Roz asked. She had heard the two mention Percy and Charlie before - Charlie was on the quidditch team with Oliver for a bit before he graduated. And obviously Fred. But this was the first time she was hearing about Ron or a sister.

"Ehm… were seven total. Bill's the oldest, and then Charlie, Percy, George and Fred, Ron and Ginny," he said. "Charlie's in Romania working with dragons. Bill's at Gringott's. He worked in Egypt as a curse-breaker for the bank for many years. Then Ron's an auror."

"What's Ginny do?" Roz asked. "I remember you said Percy works at the Ministry of Magic."

"Yea, he's in the magical transportation department. Ginny's starting with the Harpies this season," Oliver said. Roz nodded, thinking over the information. If the rest were anything like George, she knew she'd like them. And she was eager to meet Percy, having heard plenty about him. She was surprised that she hadn't met Oliver's roommate yet, though both George and Oliver said he was kept fairly busy with work and his new girlfriend. "Suppose I know all of them a fair bit since I was over enough growing up being friends with Perce, George and Fred. But never got that close to the younger ones."

"Makes sense, I suppose," Roz said, returning to her food. "I'm surprised it took this long for me to meet Angelina. I'm on quite familiar terms with the rest of Mags' family in the States… her mom calls me her third daughter." Oliver chuckled.

"I can understand. When you're an only child, it's fun being friends with large families. Used to stay over a lot at the Weasleys because of that. Always wanted a brother or sister," he said.

"Same. Though Mags' family is not nearly as big as the Weasleys. She's the youngest of three - older brother and sister," Roz said. "Bobby's in MACUSA and Vivian works at The New York Ghost."

"And what's Maggie do again?" Oliver asked, trying to remember what Angelina had said. It had come up a couple times, but he couldn't remember.

"She's a medic with the New York Wyverns. Transferred just before I moved over here," Roz said. "Wanted to go pro but didn't make it through tryouts so my dad pulled some strings to get her into the Finches' medic program."

"That was generous of him," Oliver said. Roz shrugged.

"Like I said, we practically grew up at each other's houses. Dad saw her as part of the family. And family always takes care of family," she said with a sigh. Oliver chewed slowly as he thought it over. Every time Roz's father came up, there was always a bit of a strain there, though she had yet to offer an explanation why.

They continued on, talking about their families, or at least less troublesome aspects of their families. However, by the time they had settled on her sofa to finish up the wine after dessert, Roz had gotten fidgety again.

Oliver couldn't help but lean towards her slightly, feeling like this was it. This was when she told him why he came here. Part of him was surprised. Even though it had been a few weeks, he thought it was a rather short time for her to change her mind about them. But then again, the more time he spent with her, the more obvious it was that this was edging closer towards something more than friendship.

"So, I'm guessing that you've picked up that there's a reason I invited you over tonight," Roz said, focusing on smoothing out her dress and not meeting his eyes.

"I'd gathered that much," Oliver said, smiling slightly.

"Suppose there's no other way but to dive in," Roz said. She took a deep breath and then straightened up, turning slightly on the sofa to face him. The movement was so abrupt that Oliver couldn't help but lean even more towards her slightly. "Oliver…"

"Yes?" he said, holding his breath.

"Rachel wants you to be the face of Puddlemere," she said quickly in one breath.

"I- what?" Oliver replied, thrown off for a moment. He shook his head and looked back up at her as a look of confusion fell across her own face.

"What did you think I invited you over here for?" Roz asked. Before he could answer, her eyes widened as she blushed furiously and glanced around the apartment, suddenly realizing how everything had appeared. The home cooked meal. The wine. The candles. The seclusion of her place. Her dress and makeup. She had honestly only freshened it up, thinking it would give her more confidence. "Cotton Mather… I'm…"

"It's fine. It was my own mistake. I jumped to the wrong conclusions," Oliver said quickly, hoping to stave off her embarrassment. He certainly was feeling enough for the both of them. But just beyond that, the panic had started to rear up. They wanted him to be the star? Do all the interviews? Talk to the press? What sort of questions would they ask him? Would they want to talk about the war?

"Rachel won't take no for an answer," Roz said quickly, not feeling quite prepared to dive into the other conversation. "But if you want, I can try and convince her to choose someone else or give you more time. I know that this is difficult for you."

"I haven't said no," Oliver said. Roz looked over at him, her eyes wide. "I haven't said yes either, just… need to think it over…"

"Totally understand," Roz said, sitting up. She reached over and took his hand. "I mean, I know this is a big decision for you and all. I don't want you to do anything that you feel uncomfortable with." Oliver looked down at her hand in his and then back up at her face, noting the sincerity in her eyes. He swallowed as he lingered a bit on her lips, but then looked away.

"_Merlin's sakes, Wood. Just fuckin' do it. You deserve it, you wanker," _he could hear Alicia say in his head. _"And then kiss her." _He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. She had a point. While he still didn't deserve it, why was it such a big deal if he went along with the PR plan? It was about time he got over his fear of the press. He looked over at Roz, who seemed to be wondering why he was laughing.

"I suppose I'll do it," he said.

"Really? Why?" Roz asked, suddenly feeling incredibly silly about how much she had been worrying about this. Oliver seemed perfectly at ease with the decision.

"Suppose it's time I started talking to the press. They're likely to write about me regardless," he said with a sigh. "Already have."

"But I thought… you…"

Oliver squeezed her hand slightly before putting his other over hers.

"Found a bit of strength somewhere," he said. "And well, suppose it's time for my own fresh start." It was then that Roz became acutely aware that they were holding hands. And that said hands were resting on Oliver's leg. And that there was that funny look in his eyes as he leaned forward a bit more but stopped. Of course, he wouldn't kiss her. Not until she gave him the go-ahead. He was a gentleman, after all.

Roz's mind began to whirl as she wondered what she wanted. Butterflies were flaring up something fierce in her stomach. They always did whenever she was near him. And she couldn't deny that the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be with him. She was still scared, for sure. And she still had a lot of things from Riley to deal with, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt just this once. She really, really wanted to see what it felt like to kiss him.

"_Fuck it," _she thought as she smiled slightly and leaned towards him. Oliver started grinning as he began to close the distance as well. He closed his eyes and felt the heat of Roz's breath as her lips hovered just over his.

Just as they were about to meet, there was a loud knock on the door, sending the two of them flying apart like they had just been caught snogging in a broom closet.

"You expectin' company?" Oliver asked. Roz's eyes were glued to the front door, her cheeks red.

"No," she said as another knock - this one a bit more urgent - sounded. She pushed off the sofa and padded across the floor. "COMING!" she shouted as another knock pounded on the door. Huffing, she undid the locks, assuming her aunt had dropped by to see if Roz had been successful in convincing Oliver. It was the only possibility she could think of as Angelina always owled before stopping by. Not to mention, she knew about the dinner and would definitely have not stopped by unannounced. Yes, it had to be her aunt.

She was going to ream her out as soon as they were alone.

"Aunt Rachel, what do you-"

Roz froze after she yanked the door open, losing her voice and all sense.

"Who is it?" Oliver called out, starting to stand so he could see around Roz. Granted, even with her height, he could clearly make out a tall body standing in the hallway.

"Hey, babe," a male voice crooned. Oliver frowned as he stopped. The man leaned over and kissed Roz's cheek, even though she had yet to move or speak. He then looked over seeing Oliver, his green eyes suddenly turning cold. "Excuse my manners… I'm Riley Andrews."

* * *

**Feel like the only note necessary here is… dun, dun, duuun…**


	8. Circulation

**Circulation**

Riley pushed passed Roz and walked into the apartment, a large bouquet of flowers in his hand as he glanced around, taking in the candles and flowers on the table. The bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table. The now confused quidditch player standing next to the sofa.

"I wasn't aware you would have company, Rozzie," he said, not looking at her as he locked eyes with Oliver, sizing him up.

"I have been here awhile. I've made friends," Roz said, finally finding her voice and turning to look at Riley's back. "What are you doing here, Riley?"

He turned to face her, suddenly smiling again.

"I missed you," he said, taking a step towards her. Roz crossed her arms in front of her and frowned, still not closing the door.

"Bullshit," she said bluntly. "Last I remember, we broke up."

"I made a mistake, Rozzie. If we could just talk… alone…"

"She doesn't owe you anything," Oliver said, frowning at him. Riley turned to glare at him as Roz turned her frown towards Oliver.

"I think this is between me and Roz, buddy," Riley said coldly.

"And I think she's made it clear that she doesn't want you here… mate," Oliver retorted, taking a step towards him.

"That so?" Riley said, also starting towards him. An exasperated groan from Roz stopped both of them in their tracks as they looked over at her.

"And I'd like both of you to leave, in case anyone here actually cares about what I think," she said sternly.

"But I just got here," Riley said.

"Yes, and last I checked this was my apartment - not our apartment," she said. "Both of you. Out." Riley glared at Oliver one last time before storming out of the flat. Oliver made to follow, though a bit slower. Partially because he didn't want to walk with Riley and partially because he wanted to talk to Roz.

"Sorry about that," he said a bit sheepishly. Roz just frowned at him. "Truly…" She sighed.

"I know, just… this is not how I expected tonight to go," she said. Her frown softened. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, yea?"

"Of course," he said. He started out the door and then stopped, glancing at her nervously. He then quickly kissed her on the cheek and stepped out. Roz shut the door and locked it, pulling out her wand and doing a few extra spells in case Riley came back. If he started pounding on her door demanding to be let in, she wouldn't hear it. She actually didn't mind if the neighbors called the no-maj police on him. Served him right for interrupting what was going to be a perfectly good kiss. Though part of her felt like perhaps it was a good thing.

She then walked over and sat on the sofa, reaching for the bottle of wine and filling her glass up to nearly the brim. She earned it, in her mind.

"Cotton Mather, what do I do about this?" she muttered as she looked around the apartment. Her eyes then settled on the phone as she stood and walked over, picking it up. She pressed speed dial and waited on Mags to answer, not caring at all about the time difference.

"Hey, what's up?" Mags said as she answered after the third ring.

"Can you talk?" Roz asked.

"For you? Always. Though helps that I'm out of the stadium, otherwise reception would have been horrible," she replied warmly. Roz considered herself lucky. While the Wyverns' stadium was located in the middle of New York City, there was so much spellwork to hide it from no-mags that it was nearly impossible to use a cell phone inside it. "You don't sound so great."

"Felt better," Roz admitted, starting to do a slow circle around her living room, her wine still in hand. "Riley's here."

"Wait. What the? What is he doing in London?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Yea, that was the first thing that went through my mind," Roz retorted. "No warning or anything. Though I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. He never once thought about anyone other than Riley in his life."

"He wasn't bad in school," Maggie said. "Though certainly turned into a giant turd after joining the League."

"He was a turd before that. We were both just too dazzled by the eyes and perfect hair to notice," Roz said. "He came to my place… while Oliver was here."

"WHAT?!" Maggie shrieked, causing Roz to wince. "Seriously, spill. What the hell was going on tonight?" Roz sighed.

"Long story short, Aunt Rachel wanted me to convince him to accept being the center of the new PR scheme since he was nervous about it. I invited him over for dinner to try and soften him up, totally not realizing how it appeared. He thought I was going to ask him out or something. But then I asked him about the PR thing. He said yes. We had a moment and were about to kiss, then Riley shows up at my front door."

"Cotton Matter, Roz…" Maggie said, the excitement evident in her voice. "You were going to kiss him?!"

"Focus, Mags. Riley is here. In London. And he said he misses me and wants to talk," Roz said.

"Right, sorry," Maggie replied. "Honestly, babes, I haven't heard anything about him since I came up to the Wyverns. You'd be better asking your dad."

"Yet another person I don't want to talk to right now," Roz said.

"I know, I know…" Maggie said quickly. "I think the more important thing right now is… how do you feel about all this?" Roz was silent as she stopped and looked at the fireplace.

"I mean, when I saw him… Mags, that flutter wasn't there. I looked at him and, yea I was still pissed, but… he didn't affect me like he used to," she finally admitted.

"Sweetie, I think that means you've gotten over him. Or at least you're getting there," Maggie replied. "This is a good thing."

"You think?" Roz asked, almost not believing it.

"Uh, yea. Every other time you saw that asshole since the breakup, you turned into a wreck. Or went back to your old place with him. At least I stopped you that last time," she said.

"Hey-"

"No judgement, Roz. I get it. You guys were together a really long time. And things were… intense. I know that it takes a while to get that out of your system," Maggie said quickly. Roz sighed as she walked over and sat on the sofa.

"He's here to try and get me back," she said. "We both know it. And it wouldn't be the first time."

"I know. It's his standard MO," Maggie said, the eye roll clear in her voice. "Heard things ended with him and that seeker as well."

"I hadn't," Roz replied.

"Recent. But beside the point. Don't take him back, Roz," Maggie said firmly. "You are so much better than him. And you deserve better. Besides, didn't you say things were going well with Mr. Wood?" Roz rolled her eyes.

"I told you that we were just friends," she replied.

"Yea, and then you almost kissed him tonight. What do you think would have happened if Riley hadn't interrupted you?" Maggie asked. Roz was silent, thinking it over. She would have kissed him, she knew that much. But beyond that, she wasn't sure. While earlier she had thought she was ready to move forward with him, now she was a mess of confusion. "Roz?"

"I'm thinking," Roz said. Maggie sighed.

"Look, I'm about to get back to the stadium. I know it's super confusing, but it doesn't have to be. You and Riley broke up for a reason. A really good one. Remember that. And with Oliver… you don't have to move any faster than you want to," Maggie said. "From what you and Angie have told me about him, he seems like the sort of guy that will give you time." Roz nodded.

"Thanks, Mags. I needed to hear that," she said. Maggie chuckled.

"Kind of the definition of a best friend, yea?" she asked. "Now, finish that giant glass of wine you've likely poured yourself and then go to bed. Do not stay up all night drinking and freaking out." Roz looked at her glass.

"I'll try, but I make no promises," she replied.

"Get Angie there if you need support," Maggie said.

"I will."

"Love you, Roz."

"Love ya, too," Roz said. She then hung up and placed the phone on the coffee table as she took a drink. She wasn't sure if she would owl Angelina. And she knew it was unlikely she'd get much sleep tonight after everything.

But she knew one thing - she was not going to take Riley Andrews back. Not this time.

* * *

"You're back a bit early. Something go wrong?" Percy asked from where he was sitting on the sofa as Oliver walked in. The keeper went straight for the liquor cabinet and poured himself a firewhiskey. "That bad?"

"It's not that," Oliver said after taking a drink. "Things were actually going really well… and then her ex-boyfriend showed up." Percy sat up, putting the Prophet down.

"The quidditch player from America?" he asked, his eyes wide. Oliver nodded as he turned around and walked over to an armchair, sitting in it.

"Riley Andrews," he said dully.

"Merlin, even the name sounds like a prat," Percy replied. "What happened after that?"

"We nearly got into a row and she kicked both of us out," Oliver said. Percy rolled his eyes. "What? You should have heard how he was talking to her. Like she had no choice in the matter."

"And I'm sure you were so much better at taking her feelings into consideration," Percy replied blandly. Oliver's cheeks heated up.

"Well… better than he was," he said.

"What are you going to do about it?" Percy asked. Oliver shrugged.

"She said we'd talk about it tomorrow. But I have a feeling Riley's not going anywhere for a bit," Oliver said.

"Why'd you suppose he came over?" Percy asked. Oliver snorted.

"It's obvious, isn't it? He's here to get her back," he said.

"You don't think she would?"

Oliver was silent, thinking it over. At first glance, he wouldn't think so. Roz seemed more angry that Riley was there than happy. But the two did have a long history together. Though they did break up because he cheated on her. And she had mentioned he had been a bit of a prat before that.

"I wouldn't think so," he said finally. "But… dunno… they were together for a long time…"

"Seemed you two were getting on well enough," Percy said.

"We nearly kissed. Before he showed up," Oliver admitted. Percy's eyes widened. "I don't know if that means much, but he knocked on the door and interrupted us." Percy rolled his eyes again.

"I told you there was something there," he said. Oliver frowned at him.

"I know there's something there, but we were taking things slow. They did have a fairly rocky break-up," Oliver said. After Roz had told him the full truth, he went to look it up, finding an absurdly large amount of American press on the whole ordeal. While most seemed to take Roz's side in the matter, some of them still made her out to be some pathetic little girl rather than the confident woman he knew her to be. And more than a few used the opportunity to dredge up her short-lived career in the pros, inferring that her inability to handle pressure had somehow led to the infidelity.

As if there was anything Roz could have done to bring this upon herself. In Oliver's opinion, Riley had to have been half-mad to even think about cheating on her.

But at the same time, it all reminded him that there was still a lot more to learn about her. He knew the Roz that he saw every day on the pitch and hung out with alongside Angelina and George. But he could sense that there were still things she was holding back.

And suddenly, he felt like the last place he wanted to be was sitting in his living room going over this with Percy. He put the empty glass on the table and pushed out of the chair.

"Where are you going?" Percy asked.

"Out," Oliver said, not looking at him. Percy rolled his eyes. It was Oliver's tried and true coping method for anything difficult since the war. Shut up and go to a pub. At least the worst he did there was sulk over a few firewhiskeys and then come straight home to bed. Thank Merlin he wasn't one for fights or altercations, keeping his turmoil internal.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Percy called out. The shutting of the front door was his only reply. "Bloody Oliver…"

* * *

Oliver went to his favorite pub and took up a stool at the far end of the bar, waving down the barkeep. He didn't say a word as the older wizard plopped a glass of firewhiskey on the rocks in front of him, long knowing his preferred drink. Granted it helped that he was Katie Bell's uncle.

For a few moments, Oliver sat there stuck in his thoughts as he slowly drank, wondering what this new development meant for him and Roz. Likely it would slow things up a bit, but that didn't worry him. He would wait, give her time. But part of him worried that he'd do the wrong thing and muck this up. It was a delicate situation.

A loud burst of laughter from the other side of the U-shaped bar caught his attention as he looked over. His eyes widened as he saw Riley seated there, surrounded by a few others. Rolling his eyes, he quickly downed his drink and threw a few coins on the bar, hoping to make a quick and quiet exit.

"Can't even drink in peace," he muttered.

"Blimey! Wood! Haven't seen you here in ages!" someone shouted. Oliver grimaced as he looked over, noticing one of the blokes at Riley's side grinning at him. It was a reporter for The Prophet that had always tried to get Oliver to talk, though he mostly avoided him. The chaser continued smiling, though his eyes had gone cold. "What a lucky night! First we get to meet Riley Andrews and then Wood comes 'round!"

"Yea, come join us for a drink, Wood," Riley said.

"Just heading out," Oliver replied, turning to leave.

"Nonsense. Get over here. Let's talk shop with my new friends here," Riley said, still smiling. Oliver stopped, contemplating it for a moment before shaking his head. "Sure he's got some stories about Roz he could share. They've gotten pretty close from what I hear." Oliver froze as the reporter looked at Riley and then back at Oliver.

"Can't believe you never said anything about _the_ Roz Ayers working at Puddlemere," the reporter said. "This whole time and she's here in London."

"Unlike some, I understand the importance of privacy," Oliver said, now frowning at Riley. The smile faltered slightly. The reporter just chuckled.

"That's about right. Can't ever get him to talk about anything," he said, turning to Riley. The chaser just tilted his head to the side, a smirk coming across his features.

"Oh, you should have a drink. There's a lot you don't know about her," he said.

"I'm tired," Oliver said, turning again. He wasn't about to rise for the bait.

"She ever tell you the real reason she choked in that match?" Riley called out. Oliver stopped again but didn't turn around.

"She told me," he said. Riley laughed.

"Right. That shit about pressure," he said. Oliver closed his eyes, taking a deep, slow breath and reminding himself that punching Riley Andrews next to a Prophet reporter was the absolute worst idea. "She threw the match intentionally. Because she found out that morning that she was pregnant." Oliver's eyes flew open as his whole body went rigid.

"Fucking hell? That true?" the reporter asked. "She was only 18..."

"Her father paid off anyone who got wind of it," Riley said. "Didn't want anyone to know the truth about his little angel. The press made her out to be some sort of little goody two shoes and it would have ruined her reputation." Oliver slowly turned around to face him.

"That's a load of bollocks," he said. Riley just laughed.

"It's true. Made her get rid of it. Then tried to convince her to stay in the League after some time off," Riley replied. The reporter was looking back and forth between the two, seeing Oliver starting to clench his hands into fists. Riley sat up on his stool. "That's why you were so into her, wasn't? Because she comes off as this sweet, innocent little thing. Let me tell you… I've got more than enough stories to blow that to smithereens." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he took a drink.

Oliver fought to stay calm. Riley was drunk. And goading him. It was bad enough that this was all likely to get into tomorrow's paper. The last thing Roz needed was for him to make it worse by getting into a fight.

"Look at him, the poor schmuck. He's still wanting to defend her honor," Riley said, turning his attention back to the reporter.

"If she's so bad, why do you want her back?" Oliver asked. Riley looked over at him.

"She always comes back. It's the way it's always been. I'm the only one she's ever been with. The only one she's going to be with," Riley replied.

"You could have anyone. Why her? Because of her father? You're already his star player," Oliver said. "Or is it that you've fallen so far out of his favor that you think the only way you can get back is through his daughter rather than through your talent?"

The smile fell off Riley's face as the pub went quiet, everyone paying attention to the drama currently playing out.

"You don't know shit," he said.

"Oh, I know plenty. We do get the news over here. Seems Coach Ayers hasn't been too pleased with you. Hadn't he been trying to get you off the team since the end of the season?" Oliver asked, taking a step towards him. He shouldn't have said it, but a deep sense of satisfaction came over him as he saw the scowl on Riley's face. The chaser didn't respond.

"Or perhaps you finally got it through that thick head of yours that the best thing you had going for you was Roz?" Oliver continued. "I may have not known her that long, but I've seen enough to know that you'll never be worthy of someone like her." Riley jumped to his feet, his nostrils flaring. But he didn't advance towards Oliver and neither did the keeper move. "History or no, she deserves better than you."

"Oh, and you think that's you?" Riley shouted. Oliver didn't answer, feeling as though he had already said too much. "What do you have?! Huh!?"

"He's a bloody war hero, that's what," the barkeep piped up. Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Alistair, that's not necessary," Oliver said.

"No, I'm gonna say my piece. Wood's a right good man. And bloody brilliant quidditch player. Fair amount of folks, my niece included, owe their lives to him. So if you're going to come in here and insult him or Ms. Ayers, then you best be getting out of my pub," the barkeep continued, glowering at Riley. There was a bit of a shift in the place as the looks of shocks were replaced with frowns and glares in the American's direction.

Riley looked around and then finished his drink, slamming the glass on the bar. He then started towards the door, pausing as he looked at Oliver.

"She'll come back. She always does," he said softly. He then turned and skulked out of the pub.

Once he was gone, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the conversations picked up all around him.

"Wood, get over here," Alistair called out. Oliver looked over at him.

"I should get home-"

"Nonsense. No doubt you could use a drink after that. On the house," the barkeep said, motioning him over. Oliver walked back to the bar, nervously glancing at the reporter. "If you know what's good for you, Roger, you'll keep whatever you heard out of tomorrow's paper." The reporter gaped at him as he poured the drink, but then sheepishly glanced at Oliver.

"I wasn't gonna… not unless it was vetted anyway. Just drunk rumors as far as I'm concerned," he said. Oliver sighed as he sat on the stool and took the drink. The barkeep glared at the reporter and he scuttled off to another table.

"Any man who says such shite about a woman he supposedly loves isn't worth Voldemort's left bollocks," the barkeep grumbled. Oliver glanced up at him without responding. "Don't take none of it as truth."

Oliver looked down at his drink, contemplating the information. He was so quick to assume it was lies, but… part of him wondered. If it were true, that meant that Riley had gotten Roz pregnant when they were only 18. And forcing her to terminate the pregnancy, that would explain Roz's resentment towards her father.

"And if it is true?" he asked, looking up at Alistair. The older man sighed.

"If that makes you question your feelings for her, then perhaps you're not as good a man as I thought," he replied. Oliver nodded and picked up the drink, downing half of it. "We all keep our secrets for reasons." Oliver thought it over, finding it true. And he couldn't blame Roz if she wanted to keep this one. And it didn't change his feelings about her.

"She doesn't deserve someone like that," he finally said. "Never did. She deserves someone better."

"If she's as smart as I think she is, she won't go back to him," Alistair said before walking off to take care of another patron.

"I hope not…"

* * *

**Cjconner326 – I promised drama and delivered. ^_^ And I know, haha! Don't worry, it's coming…**


	9. Owned Media

**Owned Media**

Oliver was tense the next morning as he got ready to hit the pitch for team practice. He knew Roz would be watching. And he knew they needed to talk. He just wasn't sure how it was going to go. Or how he would tell her about what happened at the pub with Riley. But he knew that he needed to tell her before she heard about it from somewhere else.

"Take it last night didn't go well," Adrian said from his locker next to Oliver's. Oliver just glared at him.

"Now's not the time," he grumbled, quickly putting the rest of his gear on.

"You know you can trust me. What happened?" Adrian asked, seeming genuinely concerned. Oliver sighed and glanced around the locker room, noting that most had already left.

"If you must know-"

"Blimey, get in here!" Colin shouted as he sprinted into the locker room. Both Oliver and Adrian looked over at him, annoyed. "There's a bulletin on the wireless about Riley Andrews! Apparently, he's here in London." The color left Oliver's face. Surely he wasn't doing some sort of massive press conference. Or perhaps their altercation had made the news. He made a mental note to pummel the reporter the next time he saw him.

Adrian was already at the door and turned to look at Oliver.

"What's got into you, Wood?" he asked. Oliver shook his head and started towards the door, following him into the gym.

"_Coach Fawkes, why did you make the acquisition?"_

"_Andrews had made public his desire to move to the British and Irish League and we felt it was a good investment. He's had strong stats in the US League and we feel he'll fit in well with the Falcons"_

Oliver froze as he looked at the wireless.

"Merlin, Riley Andrews is moving to the Falcons. Bet Smith is pissed he lost his spot," Perry said, eyes wide. Oliver looked over, meeting Joshua's eyes. The two shared a worried looked as the coach quickly walked over to him, the rest of the team and staff starting to excitedly talk about the news.

"Did you know?" Oliver hissed.

"You think I would keep that from Roz if I knew?" Joshua shot back, frowning at him. "Even Coach Ayers didn't give me a heads up. Why is that asshole moving over here?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Roz," Oliver said. Joshua looked at him a moment and then sighed.

"Should have expected it. As soon as Roz moved over here, I should have known he'd come after her. I just thought he'd come over to talk her into moving back… never thought that he'd actually transfer over," he said. Oliver pulled him farther away from the team, glancing over to make sure they were out of earshot.

"Does this have to do with the baby?" he asked quietly. Joshua's eyes widened.

"She told you?" he asked. Oliver shook his head.

"Ran into Riley at a pub last night and he ran off his mouth trying to get a rise out of me," Oliver said.

"Why would he do that?" Joshua asked. Oliver sighed.

"I was… at Roz's place when he showed up… she invited me over for dinner," he said. Joshua's eyes widened. "To tell me about the new PR plan." Joshua smiled slightly.

"Sure," he said. Oliver glared at him. "Right, so… Riley's here. We need to do everything we can to help her. Roz is gonna need it."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"Those two… look, Roz has always followed Riley. Done what he told her to. And then finally she tells him no and he didn't like it. I don't think he'd ever get physical with her, but he doesn't take no for an answer easily," he said. Oliver frowned.

"Then we're gonna make sure he stays far away," Oliver said, turning to walk out of the gym. "I need to check on Roz."

Joshua didn't say anything as he watched Oliver walk off. He just shook his head.

* * *

"Flipping Cotton Mather," Roz exclaimed as she sat hard in the chair in her aunt's office. She looked over at her. "You didn't know about this?"

"Of course not. And I'm furious," Rachel replied. Roz pulled out her cell phone and angrily dialed, knowing her parents were likely at home asleep and therefore able to answer the phone. She put it on speaker and waited.

"Hello?" a male voice said groggily.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME RILEY WAS TRANSFERRING TO THE FALCONS!" she shouted, letting out all her pent-up rage on her father.

"I… what?" her father asked, suddenly sounding more awake.

"Their coach is doing a press conference right now making the announcement!" Roz shouted, glaring at the contraption, though slightly in awe that it worked at the Puddlemere stadium.

"I swear, Roz. I didn't know," he replied.

"You're his coach! How could you not know!" she shouted.

"He's free agent! Last we talked, he was going to the Sweetwater All-Stars! I swear, I'm just as much in the dark as you are!" he said. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. If I had known I would have found a way to stop him or at least told you." Roz closed her eyes. "As soon as you told me-"

"It's… fine, Dad. I know this wasn't your fault," she said, opening her eyes as she rubbed her temple.

"Seriously, Roz. I told you that I wanted to kick him out of the League-"

"You can't kick someone out for knocking up your daughter. Besides, it was years ago. It's over," she replied.

"He ruined your career," Gregory said.

"It's not completely his fault," Roz countered.

"Well, it definitely wasn't your fault," Gregory said.

"Takes two, Dad," Roz said. "I just didn't expect him to hold that over me this long…"

"He's a creep, Roz. Worse than that. He shouldn't be-"

"It's fine, Dad," Roz said, cutting him off. "I mean, it's not. But he's just a dick. Always has been. You can't get kicked out of quidditch for that." Gregory was silent a few moments.

"I'm so sorry, honey," he said finally. "I love you."

"I know. I love you, too," Roz said, blinking back tears. Rachel stood nearby, watching on in concern. "It's going to be okay. I'll figure this out."

"Okay, but you know I'm here if you need me," Gregory said. Roz nodded and wiped her cheeks.

"I know. I'll talk to you later," she said.

"I can be there tomorrow if you want me to," he said.

"It's okay. I should take care of this myself," Roz replied. "Bye."

"Bye, Roz."

She hung up and stared down at the phone.

"Darling, you just say the word and I can bury him. I'll bury him so deep that no one will want to sign him again," Rachel said.

"That's not necessary," Roz said.

"We don't even have to mention-"

"Please don't," Roz said, looking over at her. "It's not that, I'm… I just… I'm so tired of all of this." Rachel nodded.

"I understand," she said softly. There was a commotion from outside the office. Both women looked over, watching as Riley walked in carrying an even bigger bouquet of flowers than the night before.

"Take it you heard the news," he said, grinning. "I'm moving here." Roz glared at him as she stood.

"Yea, I fail to see how that's good news," Rachel said dryly as she scowled at him. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of my office before I call security."

"Relax, Rachel. I'm here for Roz," he said, looking towards her. He then looked to Roz and started towards her. "Babe, this can be a fresh start for us. You and me. Here in London."

"We're over, Riley. I don't know how many times I have to say that until you get it through your thick head," Roz said through clenched teeth.

"If this is because of what happened, hey. We can try again. Now that you're not playing, we can have a ton of kids. Neither of us were ready to be parents at 18," Riley crooned. Roz stiffened.

"This is because you are the biggest asshole that I've ever met," she said, her nostrils flaring. "And don't think for one goddamn second that I don't know how it happened-"

"Hey, calm down now. I come in peace," Riley said, still walking towards her.

"Get away from me!" Roz shouted. "I never want to see you again!" Riley froze, the smile fading from his face.

"Is this because of that guy? Oliver?" he asked, his voice going deadly quiet. "Because we both know that we - you and I - we're meant to be together. Not you and him. He's not worth it." Roz felt her anger start to boil up.

All the years of him putting her down. Making her feel as though she wasn't good enough at quidditch. Not worth her father's praise or the press. That she wasn't strong enough. All the years she had put up with him cheating because she didn't think she deserved better. She had let him do that. And finally, she had gotten the courage to walk away. To tell her parents the truth. To make her own way because finally, she saw and felt that she was good enough. Always had been. She was strong enough on her own.

"I'm going to say this once, so you better listen, Riley," she said, her voice calm though her eyes blazed. "This isn't about Oliver. This isn't about all the times you cheated on me. You know that I knew. This is about me finally getting some self-respect. I don't need you. I don't want you. I can do a hell of a lot better for myself. But right now, I want you to walk out of that door and out of my life and never come back."

The silence was deafening. Riley stared at her, not quite believing her words. He swallowed.

"I'll tell everyone," he started.

"You think I give a flying fuck about my reputation right now?!" she shouted. "We both know the only reason that whole thing happened was because you felt threatened! By me! And you were so goddamn scared that I would continue to outshine you that you resorted to getting me pregnant and then forcing me to have an abortion just so you would have something over me! You KNEW that I wouldn't tell my father the real reason! You made sure that I wouldn't!"

Rachel's eyes widened. Roz had told her the story, but apparently not all the details.

"You got your damn wish! I quit quidditch and you didn't have to worry about taking care of a baby!" Roz continued. "What I don't understand is why you can't seem to let me go! I'm done, Riley! I'm done!"

She stared at him a few moments longer, straightening up to her full height. She finally understood why her aunt was always telling her to wear it with pride.

"As I said, kindly get the fuck out of my life and never come back," Roz said calmly. She then strode passed him and out of the office. Riley watched her and started to follow.

"I wouldn't do that," Rachel said. "Security's been alerted and I'm sure they're waiting just outside to escort you out." Riley turned to glare at her. Rachel just crossed her arms in front of her and smiled smugly. "You're done, Riley. Toast."

"Should have known that she'd sic you on me. Surprised it took this long," he said, glaring at her.

"Oh no. She told me not to. But I'll do it purely for my own enjoyment if you push me," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "You messed with the wrong family." Riley just glared at her before turning and walking out.

* * *

"Though I'd find you here," Joshua said, pulling his broom to a stop. Roz looked over at him, not bothering to wipe her cheeks. She had taken to keeping a change of clothes and her broom in her office, contemplating getting some laps in after the team had left for the day. She hadn't gotten around to it yet but was glad she had them stored there today. "How you feel?"

"Like a weight has been lifted. I told him that he could tell the press whatever he wanted. I don't care. I'm not going back to him," she said. Joshua nodded slowly.

"It's okay if you're a bit scared. I'd be," he replied. "But doesn't change the fact that that was bad ass." He smiled at her. Roz couldn't help as a strangled laugh escaped her lips.

"I think I made Aunt Rachel proud," she said.

"Dude, you made all of us proud," Joshua responded. "I knew the day was coming when you'd put that idiot in his place." Roz nodded as she wiped her cheeks.

"I just wish it hadn't taken me this long," she said.

"We all move at our own pace," Joshua said. "But you know, you could have told us then… or even just me. I would have helped you."

"I know, I just… was so embarrassed. That I had let it happen," she said.

"From how it sounds, you didn't let anything happen, Roz," Joshua said, frowning. She sighed.

"Can't help that part of me will always think it's partly my fault," she said. "I mean… I did agree to sleep with him."

"Yea, and you know how many 18-year-olds have sex? A lot," Joshua said. "A fair amount of them get pregnant too."

"But I should have known," Roz said.

"What? That he lied about the charm so he'd intentionally get you pregnant?" Joshua said. "And then further manipulated you into getting an abortion and then guilt-tripping you so hard that you quit quidditch? There's no way you could have known that." Roz was silent.

"But I didn't… I could have kept playing," she said softly.

"And you know what? You still can," Joshua said. Roz gave him a look. "I'm serious. You say the word and I'll put you on reserves right now. And when a spot opens up and you're ready, I'll get you on first string. Whatever team that'll take you if it's not Puddlemere." Roz laughed.

"I haven't played in a while," she said.

"But the talent is there. And you're only 23, Roz," Joshua said.

"You know how I feel about nepotism," Roz replied.

"And you know that your dad and I only go for talent," Joshua replied. "You _know_ that." Roz nodded slowly as she looked up at the sky.

"God, I miss this. Being in the air," she said.

"Don't you want the chance to kick Riley's ass on the field?" Joshua said. "The best revenge is living your best life." Roz looked over at him. "And your best life is on the pitch. I've told you this so many times."

She then looked around the field, thinking it over. She had thought her pro days were behind her, but after telling off Riley and these few months away from him, she couldn't help but think maybe she could have another chance. That maybe she had been too quick to think she couldn't come back. She had given it up all those years ago thinking it was for the best. After the abortion, she had been so vulnerable. And Riley knew that. He had told her that it was for the best. That she should take a year or so off to get her head straight. At the time it seemed like sound advice. But then he was always so quick to make her think that her place was off the pitch. That she wasn't cut out for the pros.

"I was pretty good, wasn't I?" she finally asked. Joshua snorted.

"The Wyverns were pretty quick to pick you up. The only reason your dad didn't fight harder for you was because he was your dad and didn't want everyone think he was playing favorites," Joshua said.

"I still can't figure out how he managed to talk them into a lower price to buy out my contract," she replied. "Or well, yea. I get that. He'd do anything for me."

"Roz, this really can be a new start for you," Joshua said. "Whatever you decide, just know you have options. And we all just want you to be happy." Roz nodded. She looked over at him.

"I'll think about it. The reserves, if you're making an official offer, that is. Still need to hear those details," she said, smiling slightly. Joshua chuckled.

"I'm dead serious," he said. "Can't offer what the Wyverns did, but I can talk management into a decent deal. If you want it. I'll get the numbers to you tomorrow." She nodded.

"Okay… let me know," she said. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Suppose I have some explaining to do with Oliver."

"You don't have to tell him everything. But… he does know about the baby," Joshua said. Roz whipped her head over to look at him, her eyes wide.

"What?" she asked. "How?"

"Apparently ran into Riley last night. But… he's a good guy, Roz. Whatever you want to do or tell him, I think he'll understand," he said. Roz looked away. She hadn't wanted him to know, but supposed it was good he did. He could now at least make an informed decision. "But I do think he should hear the real story from you… not from Riley or the newspapers."

"Yea, you are right there," she said. She straightened up on her broom. "I definitely put on my big girl panties today. Suppose that's part of it."

"To be honest, I wouldn't be worried about it," Joshua said. "He looked like he wanted to kill Riley." Roz chuckled.

"I may spend more time convincing him not to," she said.

"He won't. Like I said, he's a good guy. And he seems to respect you. He's nothing like Riley," Joshua said.

"You might be right there," Roz said. Joshua grinned.

"Now, as much as I love you, I need you off my pitch. Practice is about to start," he said. Roz chuckled.

"Aye, aye, captain," she replied. Joshua rolled his eyes.

"I haven't been your captain in years," he said.

"You'll always be my captain," she replied cheekily before flying off. Joshua watched her, still chuckling to himself.

"Good to see you're back," he said softly.

* * *

**cjconner326 - Haha, yea. When I started on it forever ago, I knew that I only wanted it to be a few chapters since I couldn't seem to keep anything else I wrote short and to the point. Think initially it was only going to be about 7 or 8, but then ended up going to 11 just to flesh out a few things. **

**Posting the last three chapters now, so just a bit more to go!**


	10. Traction

**Traction**

After her chat with Joshua, Roz went back to her office where her aunt promptly told her to take the rest of the day off. When Roz protested, Rachel firmly told her she had earned it after that display with Riley and likely needed it to recoup. Roz couldn't fault her there - she wasn't looking forward to having to explain her outburst to anyone who had overheard it and was happy to let Rachel take that one. So, she grabbed her stuff and headed back to her apartment without even stopping to change. She had to admit that she felt a sense of pride in herself.

She had stood her ground. She didn't take him back. And it was the best feeling. As though the weight that had settled on her for all the years she was with Riley had finally and completely lifted.

Walking into her apartment, she went to the sofa and sat, staring at the fireplace and wondering what to do with the rest of her day. She felt a bit drained after the emotional morning, but at the same time she was buzzing so much that she knew rest would never come. She started to reach for her phone to call Maggie when there was a knock at the door. She froze, looking over. Part of her worried it was Riley, coming to make another attempt at getting her back.

Slowly, she got up and crept to the door, her wand out.

"Who is it?!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the door.

"Merlin, it's me! Open up!" Angelina shouted. Sighing in relief, Roz quickly made her way over and pulled it open, seeing a flushed Angelina standing there. She looked as though she had rushed over and was slightly out of breath. "Went to Puddlemere as soon as I got the news, but your aunt said she sent you home." The woman rushed into the apartment and Roz closed the door behind her. "How are you feeling about everything?"

Roz took a deep breath, thinking it over. She couldn't help but smile.

"What's wrong with you?" Angelina asked, confused. She had expected to find the woman in a mess. Not standing in her flat, grinning like an idiot. Roz started laughing.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Perfectly fine," she said, walking over to the sofa. Angelina followed her. "Riley came to the stadium just after the announcement. I told him to get the fuck out of my life and never come back."

Angelina's eyes widened as she started smiling.

"You did?" she asked. Roz nodded.

"Cotton Mather, it was the best goddamn feeling," she said. "About as good as the day I told him we were finished and I walked out of our apartment with all my things."

"I wish I could have seen the look on his face. The way Mags tells it, he's a bloody wanker," Angelina said. Roz sighed and shook her head.

"You don't even know the half of it," she replied, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Seems it was a bit…"

"Intense," Roz said, cutting her off. "Riley and I always had an intense relationship. Even in school, we were on again, off again. We were both on the quidditch team and highly competitive, though him more so than me. We would fight. Break up. And then he'd somehow convince me to take him back." Angelina frowned. "Didn't help that I was Gregory Ayers' daughter and really damn good at quidditch."

"He got jealous, didn't he?" Angelina said.

"Yea," Roz said, looking over at her. "He wanted to be the best, but I was always just ahead of him. I was named captain. That was our first major fight. He said it was only because of my dad. He used that line a lot. It finally got to a point where I started believing it…"

"Merlin, Roz," Angelina said.

"Oh, it gets worse," Roz said wryly. She went silent a few moments before continuing, surprised at how calmly she was able to tell this story. "I got signed to the Wyverns first string while he got reserves. They wanted both of us but there was only one open chaser spot at the time. I was… excited, to say the least, but somehow managed to feel guilty all at the same time. I went to his place to comfort him and we… ended up sleeping together… We were waiting but… I guess I just got caught up in things and Riley can be really charming when he wants to be… It's how he's gotten away with everything…"

Roz went quiet again, frowning. Angelina reached over and squeezed her arm, letting her know she was there and she could speak at her own pace.

"I was so naive. It was our first time and all and I didn't… I believed him when he said that he did the right charm, but then… The morning of my first match with the Wyverns, I found out that I was pregnant. I was… a mess. I didn't know what to do. But I knew that I couldn't play while I was pregnant, so I threw the match. Faked an injury so I would get taken out… that night I told Riley and he… he said the only way to handle the situation was to get rid of it. So… I did, but I wasn't sure… I was…"

Roz stopped speaking, the tears starting to fill her eyes. Here came the waterworks. It was as though they had been building up all day and now that she was in private, they burst forth.

"Riley told me to take the season off to clear my head, so I did. I was so vulnerable, I would believe anything he said. And I couldn't tell my parents, at least I thought I couldn't. I didn't even tell Mags. Not for a long time, anyway. Riley was the only one I could rely on and I was too stupid to see that was his plan all along," Roz said. "He eventually convinced me that quitting was the best thing. That I obviously couldn't handle the pressure."

"You weren't stupid," Angelina said. "Riley's just a horrible, manipulative person." Roz sighed and wiped her cheeks.

"Well, it worked. I ended up quitting and he got my spot. Eventually he transferred to the Finches. Then, he got me to move in with him, saying it was the best thing for our relationship since we were always fighting over something. And he continued to break me down until I really, truly believed that I wasn't good enough," Roz said. She looked over at Angelina. "I knew he was cheating on me all those times, but I felt like I deserved it. Then that last one made the press - usually he was pretty discreet about it - it was like… something clicked back into place. Sure it took me a few months of dealing with him and the media, but I finally got my backbone back and realized how truly screwed up the situation was and how he had been manipulating me all those years. We had our biggest fight and I broke things off and moved out. I told my parents everything - finally. Then the job opened up here and we all thought it would be for the best for me to get away from it all and hopefully be able to start over."

"You are a strong woman, Roz," Angelina said. "And you deserve so much better than Riley. Never forget that." Roz smiled slightly.

"I know he's going to keep trying. But… I feel like it's really over now," Roz said. "At least for me. Like I can finally move forward." Angelina reached over and pulled Roz into a hug.

"You've always got me here. George as well. And Wood," she said. Roz sighed at the mention of Oliver's name.

"Ah, that's another part of the story," she said. Angelina pushed her away.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I had Oliver over for dinner last night," Roz started. Angelina started grinning. "Nothing like that. I was going to tell him about the new PR plan. But then…" Her cheeks started turning pink. "Then we almost kissed. But Riley showed up. I kicked them both out and I haven't had a chance to talk to him or explain everything yet…"

"Trust me, you shouldn't worry about Oliver," Angelina said. "He's probably worried about you more than anything." Roz sighed.

"I spoke with Joshua and turns out he ran into Riley at a bar last night and he mouthed off about the abortion," she said, meeting Angelina's eyes. "He knows."

"You're worried that's going to change things," Angelina said.

"Yea. I mean, how can I not," Roz replied, laying her head back on the sofa.

"I know Wood pretty well and… I honestly don't think something like that will turn him away," Angelina said. "Besides, I thought you two were just friends." Roz shot her a look, noticing the grin starting to appear on her face.

"We are, but… I don't know. I can't help how I feel about him. I'm not ready to go jumping into a full-on, public relationship just yet… but I can't keep denying that there's something there," she said. Angelina laughed softly.

"Trust me, Roz. Wood is one of the good ones. Probably one of the best. He's not going to push you into anything and he's not going to judge you. If anything, he'll probably think more of you for the way you've handled everything," she said. "Going through all that and then coming out on the other end stronger."

"You think?" Roz asked.

"I know," Angelina replied. "But I do think you should talk to him. At the least, to tell him the truth of it." Roz sighed and nodded.

"I'm sure he's confused," she said.

"Probably not confused. Not about how he feels about you, anyway. But I would definitely say that he's most likely worried," Angelina said. Roz looked over at her and smiled.

"Thanks, Angie. For being here. How did you get out of work, by the way?" she said. Angelina chuckled.

"Easy enough. The whole head office is in a tizzy over the announcement. I said I had to go out and check on some things and they didn't even stop to ask what before sending me off," she said. "But I should get back soon." Roz sat up, leaned over and hugged Angelina.

"Get back to work," she said.

"What are you going to do?" Angelina asked.

"Plan out what I'm going to say to Oliver," Roz said. Angeline nodded and stood.

"Send me an owl if you need anything. And our door's always open if you need to talk," she said.

"Thanks," Roz said. "I really appreciate it." Angelina then walked over and let herself. Roz sighed and laid back on the couch.

"Now… how am I going to do this…"

* * *

Oliver walked into the flat later that night, worried. Roz was already gone when he got up to the office and he started heading out to the pitch when he saw her up in the air with the coach, but she had already left when he got there. So he went back up to the office and found she had left for the day. He wanted to go check on her right away, but Coach Allen had ordered him up in the air with the rest of the team.

When he stopped by her place afterwards, there was no answer at the door. She either wasn't there or didn't want to answer, so he decided to just go back home. More than anything he wanted to talk to her. Make sure she was doing okay after the announcement. He also wanted to talk about what had happened last night.

There was a lot they needed to talk about.

So, he was surprised when he stepped in and heard laughter from the living room. It wasn't like Percy to entertain, unless Audrey was over. Walking in, he froze.

"Ah, was wondering when you'd get home," Percy said, looking over from the armchair where he was sitting. "Roz and I were just getting to know each other a bit."

Roz turned around to look at him from the sofa. She seemed fine, though she had a nervous smile on her face.

"I was… been trying to find you all day," Oliver said, locking eyes with her as he dropped his team bag on the ground.

"I'll leave you two, then," Percy said, standing quickly. "I'll be in my room. Nice to finally meet you, Roz."

"You too, Percy," Roz said, glancing over at him. When he disappeared into his bedroom, she stood and turned to face Oliver. "Suppose we have a lot to talk about."

"Before all that, how are you?" Oliver asked, quickly stepping over to her, his brow furrowed. "I was worried when I heard the announcement and-"

"I'm fine," Roz said, smiling softly. "I mean… yea, the last 24 hours have been incredibly crazy and overwhelming, but I'm going to be okay…. Riley came to the office this morning." Immediately, Oliver began scowling.

"That bast-" Roz put up her hand, silencing him.

"I told him to leave and that I never want to see or talk to him again. Whether or not he listens is another story, but it won't change how I feel. I'm never going back to him," she said.

"I never thought you would," Oliver said immediately. Roz took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Joshua said you knew… about the baby," she said, starting to get a bit nervous. Oliver nodded.

"I, ehm, went out to a pub to clear my head last night and he was there. Spouted off a load of shite about you in front of everyone. Wanted to punch him but thought it might not be the best thing as there was a Prophet reporter standing next to him," he said. "He said that your dad forced you to get rid of it and that's why you quit." Roz frowned slightly.

"Figures. Of course, he'd spin it in his favor," she said. "That's not how it happened. He got me pregnant and then got me to terminate it. It was all part of this master plan to get me out of quidditch so he could take my spot on the Wyverns."

Oliver's blood began to boil. Of all the ways to get someone's spot, that had to be one of the lowest. Though he was grateful that he hadn't attempted to injure Roz in such a way that she couldn't play again.

"He, ah, spent a long time alienating me from my friends and family so he could control me. And then one day I wised up and got out," Roz said. "That's why things were so strained with my dad. I didn't even tell him or my mom about it until a few months ago. When I broke up with Riley."

"Merlin, Roz. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Oliver said, taking a step towards her. He wanted to take her into his arms and swear that he would make sure no one ever treated her like that again. But stopped, feeling like it was better to give her space.

"Definitely wasn't fun," Roz said. "But I'm not that person anymore. I don't want to be her anymore."

"And you don't have to be," Oliver said. "From what I've seen, you're… incredible." Roz's cheeks flushed slightly as she struggled to keep looking at him. Some of the old feelings of not being worthy enough snuck in and she fought to push them aside. "And… about us… I understand. I know that you're going through some things still, and I just want you to know that I'm here for you. In whatever way you're comfortable with."

Roz started smiling as she felt a bit of the nerves leave her. Of course, part of her knew he would say something like that. That's just how Oliver was. But she appreciated hearing it.

"Thank you. It's going to take a bit more time before I think I'm ready for anything serious, but I'm happy to have you with me," she said. Oliver smiled softly.

"I'd do just about anything for you, Roz," he said truthfully. Roz looked down at the ground, blinking back tears.

"Funny… I've heard that a lot, but for the first time I actually believe the person saying it," she said, glancing up at him. Oliver gave in to his battle with reaching out for her and gently pulled Roz into his arms. She sighed as she relaxed into it, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his shoulder. The two stood silently a few moments, feeling that words were unnecessary at the moment. Just that contact was enough to convey everything they couldn't articulate.

"So… what should we do about Riley?" Oliver asked after a few minutes. Roz laughed softly.

"He can burn in hell, for all I care," she replied, tightening her arms around him.

"But he'll try to talk to you again," Oliver replied, frowning.

"Let him. I'm not taking him back," Roz said. "In fact, I'm expecting him to try again. If anything, he's determined."

"But shouldn't we try to, dunno, keep him away?" Oliver asked, glancing down at her. Roz sighed.

"I doubt he'd do anything to try and hurt me," she said. "That's not really his style. He's more manipulative than anything and that won't work on me anymore. At least I hope not."

"But he seemed eager to share all the sordid details of your time together," Oliver said. Roz chuckled and looked up at him.

"I appreciate the worry about my reputation, but I'm not worried about it. Anything he says will just make him sound worse," she said. "Besides, I'll need to get used to the press again anyway." Oliver frowned, confused.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Joshie's offered me a reserves spot," she said, smiling. "Getting me the details tomorrow and we'll take it from there." Oliver's face lit up. She was going to try quidditch again.

"Really? You're going back to pro quidditch?" he asked. Roz nodded. "But what about your aunt?"

"She'll be okay without me. I belong on the pitch," Roz said. "Always have. Plus, I'm looking forward to someday kicking Riley's ass in a match again." He couldn't help but chuckle as he looked down at her. He suddenly stopped, the desire to kiss her nearly overwhelming him. The same thing was going through Roz's mind as she felt her whole body begin to tingle and her heart start to speed up.

God, she wanted to kiss him. But part of her was still worried. She wasn't ready for a relationship with Oliver. But at the same time, she didn't want to be with anyone else.

She then raised up slightly, bringing her lips closer to his as she continued looking into his eyes. Ever so slowly, Oliver bent down until his lips brushed hers. It was a fleeting kiss, but still, electricity ran through him. Roz took a deep breath and then kissed him again, this time placing her lips fully against his.

She could feel heat spreading through her body, but still she held back and could sense that Oliver was doing the same. There was no doubt what the two felt for each other, but still… she needed time.

Oliver rested his forehead against hers after the kiss.

"I'll follow your lead," he said softly. "As much time as you need." Roz smiled.

"Thanks," she said. She then stepped back from him, though he held onto his hands.

"You have to be anywhere tonight?" he asked. Roz shook her head. "Good. Perce is a decent cook. Would you like to stay for dinner?" She grinned.

"I'd love that," she replied.

"I'm rather happy I picked up that salmon today after work, then," Percy said, rushing out of his room towards the kitchen. Roz jumped slightly as her eyes widened. Had he been listening in the whole time?

"Really are no secrets with the Weasleys, huh?" she said, looking at Oliver.

"I am nothing like my brother," Percy said firmly, stopping to frown at her. Oliver and Roz laughed. "I simply heard Oliver ask you to stay for dinner and thought I should get started." He then turned on his heels and continued on into the kitchen.

Oliver pulled Roz towards him again, kissing the top of her head.

"Need any help?" Roz called out.

"Could use some more hands to make things go faster," Percy called out. Roz glanced up at Oliver and then walked towards the kitchen, pulling him with her.

"Come on…"


	11. The Launch

**The Launch**

Roz rolled her shoulders slightly, feeling a slight pinch in her back muscles as she sat in the chair. Even though the seats in the new VIP box were the highest level of comfort, she was still sore from practice the day before. While she hadn't played seriously in five years, Roz had to admit that she thought starting back in would be easy enough. She had kept in shape. Still got up on a broom regularly and tossed a quaffle around. Even had taken up playing pick-up matches on the weekends with Oliver, Angelina, George, and a few of their other friends. What she hadn't expected was just how long it would take for her muscles to get used to quidditch again. Or how much of her technique she had lost.

Nearly two months into her new contract on the Puddlemere reserves team and she was still constantly sore, though it was finally starting to lessen a bit. Her dad sent care packages nearly every week with a ton of various salves, creams and potions - just like when she was in school. There were also long letters with advice on tactics and drills that he thought of, though their phone conversations were often full of more. How he came up with all them, Roz almost didn't know. But he was one of the top coaches in the US League. He was so thrilled by the news she was playing again that he had sent her a new Thunderbolt and all new gear. While she felt her Firebolt was good enough, she had to admit that she thoroughly enjoyed the speed and thrill she got on the new broom. Hadn't taken long to break it in at all.

And at least if she was going to be rusty for a bit, she could be rusty in style. Thankfully, all the conditioning she had been doing was starting to help. She no longer fumbled as much and her speed was picking up. Her aim was on more than it wasn't. Joshua had put together an afterhours training program for her to help her catch up and much to Roz's delight, all of the first string jumped on the chance to take part and help. She still wasn't where she was when she quit, but every day she woke up feeling as though she were getting closer. And that she wasn't crazy for thinking she could have a second shot at the pros.

"Still sore?" Angelina asked, her eyes glued to the match playing out in front of them.

"Yea, but thankfully it's not as bad as before," Roz replied, also watching the match. She couldn't help but glance over to look at Oliver floating in front of the hoops. They were three hours into Puddlemere's opening match of the season and so far, Joshua's work was paying off. They were - much to Roz's amusement - playing the Falcons and so far, the score was dead even. Considering the Falcons beat them in an hour 300-100 in their previous match up, this was an incredible improvement.

"Still can't get used to those uniforms," George said from the other side of Angelina. He glanced over at Roz. "That was really your aunt's doing?" Roz smiled slightly.

"Well… she did have a quidditch player handy for advice on it," Roz said. "And… I may have planted the seed." Angelina, George and Percy all looked over at her. "Our practice uniforms for Ilvermorny were like that."

"They got you wearing them for reserves?" Angelina asked.

"Yep," Roz said. "Weathers loved them so much that he ordered them for us."

"How long before you're out there with the first string?" George asked.

"Awhile. I'm nowhere near ready to go to first string and they won't have any open spots for a while. Not until Wilda decides to retire," Roz replied.

"Might not be as long as you think," Mr. Wood said from the other side of her, causing Roz to blush. "From what Oliver says, you're coming along nicely."

"He's being nice," she said quickly, still a bit nervous around his parents even though this was the third time meeting them. She and Oliver had been over to their place for dinner a couple times.

"You're just being modest. I saw your stats," Angelina said.

"Those were from Ilvermorny," Roz said.

"I've seen the recent ones as well. You've improved loads in just two months," Angelina said. "It's like riding a bike. It'll come back soon enough. Might even be able to trade to first string somewhere next season." Roz just rolled her eyes and focused on the game. She couldn't help but let out a little cheer as Rory nearly took out Riley with a bludger. Angelina chuckled from next to her.

"Bet the Falcons are regretting spending all that money on Andrews," George commented before taking a drink of his beer, his eyes lit up in glee. "Hasn't scored yet."

"Well… Joshie did tell me he had the chasers working on a little bit of extra strategy to mess with him," Roz said casually as she started grinning. "And may have told the beaters to target him as much as they could…"

She glanced at the big screen as the announcer made a comment about Riley and it showed a close up of his face. He was sporting a black eye and looked furious as Marcus Flint appeared to be admonishing him.

Since that day he walked into the office, he had tried to talk to Roz only once. Though she supposed that was mostly due to the fact that she was constantly surrounded by Puddlemere players. Now that she was on the team, she spent a lot of her free time hanging out with either the reserves or first string when she wasn't with Angelina, George, and Percy. And, of course, Oliver.

There was a small amount of fanfare when Puddlemere announced they were signing a new reserves chaser. The US press picked it up right away, running a number of articles speculating as to why she was suddenly making a comeback after five years away from playing. Then there were the predictions on her performance. They were vastly positive, which only added to the pressure. They had their first match against the Bats next week and a flurry of butterflies fluttered in Roz's stomach just thinking about it. The reserves coach had put her in despite joining mid-summer, eager to see how she did in an official match. She was sure Joshua put him up to it, wanting to push her as far as she could go.

The reaction from the British press had been a little bit more subdued, though there had been a few mentions about her and Riley. She was surprised he hadn't made good on his threat to tell everyone about what had happened all those years ago, but figured he was saving it for a rainy day. Didn't bother her. She had come to terms with everything and decided she wasn't going to let it get to her if he did. She'd deal with it when and if it came out.

"Nice!" George shouted, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked over, noticing that Adrian had scored again and the three Puddlemere chasers were quickly getting into a defensive formation. Flint had the quaffle and was going through a complicated passing run with the other Falcons chaser Drew Lightbody. Riley was being kept away from the ball for the time being.

She sat up in her chair as they dodged bludgers and flew closer towards the hoops. Oliver was still as he watched them closely.

"And it looks like the Falcons are having another go at scoring on Wood. He's been top-notch all game," the announcer said. Flint passed the quaffle and looked as though he were flying off, but at the last second, he swooped back over to catch the quaffle and shot it towards the left hoop. "And another good save from Wood! Looks like Puddlemere is back with a vengeance this season!"

Roz cheered and clapped with the others, grinning. Oliver had been so nervous the week before the big press day at the stadium. She had spent a few hours working with him on how to act during the press conference and answer questions. She wasn't sure why - turned out he was a natural at it. But after he had spent last year avoiding any and all contact with the media, he had developed a bit of camera-shyness.

"I heard you helped Oliver out with Press Day," his mother said, leaning over to look at her. "Did wonders. He hated speaking to the press before."

"Still doesn't really like it, but honestly he didn't need a lot. He's good in front of the camera," Roz said.

"Come on then, Roz. Of course, you had something to do with it. Reckon you're a more than okay coach with all your experience," George said. Roz just rolled her eyes.

"I was in the gossip columns more than I was in actual articles," she commented.

"Not true! We found loads of old articles about you from the last time you played. What was it? The Ayers quidditch genes of gold?" George replied with a grin.

"Seriously, George?!" Roz shouted as she laughed.

"Before long they'll be angling to interview you," he continued.

"Reserves, remember?" Roz said.

"Best start practicing again," he added.

"Cotton Mather, I don't know how you put up with him," Roz said, glancing at Angelina.

"He grows on you," Angelina replied, though she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Where's the after party?" George asked.

"Adrian's," Roz said, back to watching the game. "Where else?"

"Feel as though there's going to be a lot to celebrate tonight…"

* * *

Oliver took a deep breath, centering himself. While the match had been going on a fair bit at that point, he found that he wasn't tired, running off sheer adrenaline. Their passes had been crisp and tight. Perry had been faking out the Falcons' seeker so much that he was sure he had no clue when he was actually going after the snitch. Rory and Mark had not only picked up their speed, but never missed a mark. Oliver couldn't help but have a sick sense of joy when they knocked Riley off his broom about five minutes ago. He had ventured a glance at the box and could make out Roz grinning at that point.

His heart swelled at the mere thought of her. She had made good improvement over the last couple of months and would be playing her first match next week. She was nervous, that was to be sure, but he felt she was ready. More than that, Joshua felt she was too and had pushed the reserves coach to put her in.

And while they still weren't together officially, he found he didn't care. Just being around her was enough for him.

"Alright there?" Adrian shouted as he passed by. "Nice save!"

"Thanks!" Oliver replied, keeping his eyes focused on the quaffle. Wilda was streaking down the field, weaving in and out of the Falcons chasers, just barely missing getting side checked by Riley and then Flint. She tossed the quaffle behind her and Colin smoothly caught it before flying off in the other direction, leaving confused Falcons in his wake. He clenched his fist in victory after he passed to Adrian, who then scored.

But just as soon as he did, he zeroed in, watching as Flint snatched up the quaffle and turned around, heading towards him. Gripping the broom, he sat still, watching as they passed back and forth. It looked as though the third chase was going to get the quaffle, but Oliver knew that they wouldn't do the obvious thing.

Sure enough, at the last second, Flint tossed the quaffle to Riley, who scowled as he neared the hoops. Oliver almost smiled as he watched, noting that he was giving up his direction. Sure enough, he threw the quaffle and Oliver sailed to the left and caught it, easily tossing it over to Colin. He grinned and nodded his head towards a seething Riley as Flint yelled something at him.

Seemed the star chaser was no longer the star. Watching him play, Oliver wasn't sure if he had lost his edge or if all the reports of his performance were over-exaggerated. Either way, he wasn't having much luck his first match. Though it helped that Roz and Joshua had given him and the rest of the team a thorough rundown of his tells on the pitch - Joshua had helped coached him the last three years and Roz had been playing with him for even longer than that.

"Howard has found the snitch this time! He dives as Wiggins gives chase!" the announcer shouted. Oliver looked over to his left, seeing Perry speed after the tiny gold ball, his eyes focused on it as Wiggins struggled to keep up. He pulled up slightly, smoothly leveling out over the pitch as the beaters moved to protect him.

"Go Howard!" Wood shouted. He then quickly turned his attention back to the match, seeing Flint once again heading towards him. In the excitement of the snitch, Adrian had given up possession and the Falcons were heading straight for him. The cheering reached a fever pitch as Oliver refocused. He was not about to let another goal through.

_How do you feel about playing against your old school nemesis in the first match of the season?_

_Ehm… doesn't really feel different from any other match… We plan to go out there, give it our best and pull off a win for a strong start to the season. It would be the same for any other match…_

_Your opinion on the mid-break signing of the American Riley Andrews?_

_He's fast and has good reflexes. It'll be a challenge, but a welcomed one._

Various questions that had come up during Press Day floated through his mind as it seemed time slowed as the chasers descended on him. He watched as they slowly passed back and forth.

_What are your predictions for this year?_

_We've really come together over the break and Coach Allen has us working on some exciting new plays, so I suspect that we'll have a stronger season this year than last._

_What's different about this year? Last year, you seemed a bit hesitant to speak to us…_

_The year after the war was a hard one for all of us, myself included. Reckon I just needed time to come to terms with things. But I do truly believe that Puddlemere United is back and better than ever…_

There had been a few more questions about the war, but Oliver was prepared for them. He had sat down and told Roz the full story of what happened that day - it was the first time he had really spoken about it with anyone. She had held him for a time as he struggled with an onslaught of tears, then assured him that he was nothing short of a hero in her eyes, whatever he thought. He still didn't feel like one, but the guilt had finally started to abate. He had even met with Alicia's parents again - he hadn't been able to face them since the funeral.

All of it seemed to come up to this moment. Facing down Falcons at the end of the first match. The sound of the crowd faded into the background as all he heard was his own breathing and the beating of his heart. He watched as Flint passed to Riley and he began zigzagging down the pitch, an angry fire in his eyes. Oliver gripped his broom handle, watching and waiting. It was a bit harder this time to read where Riley was going to go.

Then. There. The smallest hint of a flicker in Riley's eyes. He glanced to right. Oliver nearly smiled to himself, waiting patiently. Riley moved left but launched the quaffle to the right. Oliver was already moving, stretching out to his full height as his fingertips brushed the quaffle, then made purchase as he knocked it out of the way.

The crowd exploded as Oliver looked over, noticing Perry holding up the snitch in his hand, a dazed, but proud look on his face. The game stopped immediately as the team grouped up together, shouting in triumph.

"We did it!" Adrian shouted as he pounded Oliver on the back.

"Good start, lads!" Wilda said, laughing in joy. Oliver could only grin as he looked around, seeing the stands full of fans jumping to their feet and cheering. He hadn't heard that sound in awhile and it felt incredibly good. He then looking over to the VIP box, seeing Roz jumping up and down as she clapped and then hugged Angelina.

Yes, this was a good start.

* * *

Roz jumped to her feet, cheering and yelling with the rest of them as the entire team lifted their arms in victory. It had been a thrilling game and a strong start to the season. They started in on a victory lap, pounding each other on the back as Perry flushed bright red, the snitch still firmly in his hands. She ventured a glance at the Falcons and noted that Riley was fuming. She chuckled.

As the team flew by the VIP box, Oliver slowed and pulled up, hugging his parents. Roz felt like she must look like an idiot, grinning as she was, but she couldn't help but be thrilled for them. Over the summer she had gotten close to each of the players and knew how hard they worked to get to this. And they would only get better from here.

Oliver looked over at her, his face still flush from victory. She stepped up, intending to hug him, but in a rush of adrenaline, she grabbed the collar of his jersey and pulled him up to her, kissing him. There was a moment of silence before George started whistling.

When she let go of him, the two were still for a split-second, just grinning at each other.

"Reckon that'll make the paper," Oliver finally commented. Roz laughed, feeling lighter than she had in years.

"Fuck the papers," Roz said. He continued to grin at her.

"You know they'll be calling you my girlfriend now," he continued. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"As I said… fuck the papers," she said before kissing him again.

* * *

"Say… isn't that your girl?" Marcus Flint said, motion towards the big screen. Riley turned to look, his eyes going wide as he watched Roz kissing the Puddlemere keeper, her arms wrapped around his neck. He didn't answer, only started breathing heavily as anger coursed through him. "Doesn't much look like your girl."

"Shut up, Flint," Riley said through clenched teeth. Flint chuckled as he shook his head.

"Take my advice, focus on quidditch and not some flighty bird," he said before flying off. Riley whipped his head around to the VIP box, seeing Wood kiss her one last time before joining the rest of the team on the pitch. They all gathered around him, excitedly talking and patting him on the back. The idiot just kept grinning and glancing up at the box.

Looking over at the big screen again, it was showing a laughing Roz as she sat back down, donning a Puddlemere t-shirt. He had read the papers. Knew she had signed with their reserves. He suspected she had begun dating the keeper, but now that was confirmed. He hadn't thought much about either - Roz hadn't played in five years, so there was no way she could be as good as she was back then. And she could have her fun with the keeper - eventually she'd come back to him. She always did. But now seeing them together, a cold sliver of worry entered his mind.

"Andrews! Get your sorry arse down here!" the Falcons coach shouted up at him. Riley looked over, noticing he was the last in the air and then flew down, quickly catching up to the rest of the team as they trudged to the locker rooms.

He clenched his fist as he shot one more glare over to Wood as he disappeared into the tunnel that led to the locker rooms.

"This isn't the end," he muttered to himself. "I will get her back."

* * *

**Why do I end stuff leaving the possibility for a sequel? It's an affliction, though I don't see myself doing one for this one. Not for a long time, anyway. Too many other stories going on. But yea. The end! **

**Thanks for reading!**


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